Get to Know You
by EvilRegalC
Summary: Regina and Robin's life take an extreme turn. The life as they knew it is quickly stolen from them when an unexpected accident puts Robin in a coma, and without any memory of the last two years of his life. Will they be able to rebuild the trust in each other and fall in love all over again?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! As promised, here's the first chapter of my new story. I hope you like it and thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 1.

 **\- Friday -**

 **October 13, 2017**

Regina is exhausted.

Her legs hurt, her head is sore, making the commotion typical of an emergency room seem ten times worse than already is every single day of work at the New York hospital.

There are paramedics rushing in and out from every door that leads to the main entrance, people with broken limbs, cuts, and several bruises, holding onto their relatives for support as they wait for some sort of assistance. She can clearly hear their whimpers and groans, and in the worst of times, someone throwing up in a garbage bin. God, she is so tired - on a normal day she would be able of ignoring all of this, the smell of the antiseptic wouldn't be this nauseating, and Ashley's voice every time she calls someone to be admitted at the front desk wouldn't make Regina's head throb.

But today she has been working a double shift, and so she has been there for twelve hours - twelve hours of trying to save people's lives, twelve hours of (what she hopes being) comforting talks for the patient's friends and family.

So she is exhausted. Weary, and nauseous, and with another four hours ahead of her before she can return home to her caring fiancé.

Robin had spent his free day at home with his three-year-old son, busying themselves with some housework and a few games, just killing time before Robin had to drive his son to his mother's house to spend the weekend - Regina had managed to find some time to call him during her breaks, to know how their men's day was going, or just to check if her house was still undamaged (she knows how Roland loves to run around the house, urging his father to chase him until they would tire themselves or some of the decoration would fall into pieces on the floor).

She had learned to dismiss every time she comes home to find Robin picking up the pieces of some expensive trinket off the ground, assuring that everything is fine as long as both he and Roland are unharmed and safe, because, what is the harm if she has one less sculpture taking up space on her shelves?

 _'Don't worry about that_ ,' she would say every time Robin apologizes for his son's (and his) behavior, promising her there will be no repeat of the situation (who is he kidding? Of course, there will be, but Regina finds she doesn't care in the slightest about that, not anymore.)

She makes her way towards the staff room with a tired smile on her face, a breath of relief leaving her lungs when she closes the door behind her, muffling the jumble of sounds coming from the busy hallways of the hospital. It is blessedly empty, not a co-worker to be seen, not a thing out of place – it seems nobody had really the time to spend their breaks just sitting and relaxing between the patients they have to attend to, but Regina is decided to take some time to herself before she has to return to her duties. And so she carries herself to the nearest chair, collapsing in the seat and closing her eyes for a moment.

...

"Regina."

She hears a familiar voice, too far away and shallow to be even considered real, something closer to a dream than to reality.

"Regina, are you alright?"

The brunette sighs in her sleep, shifts to seek a more comfortable position. She has been sleeping for God knows how long on that metal chair, causing a discomfort in her neck and all the way down to her lower back with every move she makes.

It's not the first time she falls asleep out of the blue. It's not even a surprise that she is feeling extremely tired after a twelve-hour shift, but it never happened to her falling asleep in the middle of her job, especially during a fifteen-minute break.

"Regina, come on, wake up."

There is a brief silence, and then her eyes finally blink open, a messy blonde bun filling Regina's blurry vision. She runs her hands over her eyes in an effort to clear her sight from the remains of sleep, glances at the clock on the wall to confirm her break should have ended almost half an hour ago. _Great_ , she thinks as she rises from her seat, her eyes finally shifting to take in the sight right there in front of her.

Her friend's eyes are avoiding hers at any cost, and she thinks she spots a slight tremor in Tink's hands, even though she is clearly trying to remain calm in front of her, "God, you scared me, I need you to come with me."

"What's wrong?" Regina asks with a frown, her voice hoarse from the sleep.

Something happened.

Something happened, and it's definitely not something good, therefore the reason for Tink being so concerned about dragging her out of that room.

And then Tink starts telling her something about _Robin_ , and an _accident_ , and something about her _fiancé_ arriving at the _E.R…_

Everything is a blur.

Regina runs out of that staff room, her exhaustion long forgotten as she rushes through the hospital corridors. She doesn't even bother to wait for the lift, heads straight towards the stairs she knows will lead her towards the main entrance.

The great lobby is more crowded than when she had left it an hour ago. There are people standing in her way, and everything seems to be working against all her attempts to find Robin.

She needs to see him, it can't be him, he didn't deserve it.

But everything becomes a cruel reality when she _does_ see him.

Across the room, lying on a hospital bed, there he is, _her_ Robin, blood flowing from the nasty cut on his head, his blue eyes devoid of any color.

He is unresponsive, unconscious.

Regina runs in his direction without thinking twice, pushes her way among the paramedics until she can reach her fiancé, "Robin, Robin!" she breathes frantically, holding tightly onto the crowbar of his bed as the several paramedics try to drag him out of the entrance, "Please, somebody tell me what happened, please!"

 **…**

 _Everything happened too fast._

 _It's a cloudy memory, something playing in his mind that he's not even sure happened for real._

 _He had just left their house. Had placed his son in his car seat, right before he had glanced at the clock on the dashboard to confirm that he was indeed late to drop Roland at his mother's house. Almost six in the afternoon, and he could hear Marian's voice in his head, protesting about their delay, telling him about trivial things such as bath and dinner. However, his son had pleaded to finish watching his cartoons, and who could blame Robin for granting him that simple little wish? He could easily put up with another one of Marian's speeches about routines and how that is important for a three-year-old child. Roland needs time to be with his father, even if Marian believes that shouldn't be one of the boy's priorities._

 _But just for that night, Robin would ignore whatever Marian would throw his way, would focus on his weekend with Regina, on the dinner he had planned to cook for her so she could get home from her job and have a delicious meal waiting for her at the dining room table._

 _This was why he got distracted for a moment, had reached for his phone for the time he was stopped at a red light, causing him to miss the blur of white and red lights right ahead of him. It was the worst moment of his life. Knowing it would be impossible to avoid the vehicle approaching him at high-speed._

 _Again, everything happened too fast._

 _He knows he should have just tried to do something about it, but he barely had time to react before the other car crashed into his. He remembers the sound of the music coming from the radio disappearing under the high-pitched sound of breaks as the other vehicle swerved in a failed attempt to avoid his car, the airbags knocking Robin's body back and leaving several marks and bruises on his skin. He felt so powerless in that moment, unable to do something to protect his son. He remembers Roland's cries, his pleas of 'Daddy, help!'_

 _He needs to see him, apologize for this nightmare, make sure he is alright. He's such a terrible father, Marian is right, she was always right. But he has to see him-_

 _"_ _Sir! Sir, please, don't move."_

 _He feels two hands pressed against his chest, keeping him from standing up, but he has to move, he has to see Roland… His whole body hurts, and Robin can feel the metallic taste of his blood in his mouth, but-_

 _"_ _Sir, we will help you, but you have to stay still."_

 _He can hear the infuriating sound of a siren, followed by a sharp pain in his head, his vision blurred as the whole world turns black._

 **…**

She thinks about what happened as she allows her friend to guide her through the hospital halls. Keeps thinking about it while Tink occupies a seat beside her in the waiting room, or when she disappears for a few minutes to get Regina a tea in a failed attempt to help to settle her coworker's nerves - nothing really seems to do the trick. She feels empty, useless, because she knows she is in no shape to help her fiancé, even if she really wants to.

She had felt sick just to see Robin in such a state, his clothes stained with his blood, his life draining from every pore on his body. She couldn't stand the sight, even if she is a doctor, even if she has already witnessed every worst-case scenario she can possibly imagine...

Right now, the best help she can provide is to wait. Wait, and don't let the worst thoughts consume her mind, she tells herself.

Instead, she thinks about what her friend had told her, the words 'c _ar accident_ ' hitting her like a ton of bricks. It definitely doesn't contribute to ease her mind in the slightest. Not when a certain pair of dimples comes to her mind. Robin had told her why he was driving today, and the reason involves a young and adorable little boy.

She feels sick at the thought. At the chance of something bad happening to his son.

She hopes he was already safe and sound in his mother's house when this whole nightmare happened, hopes that, at least, there were no other victims of this accident.

But she recalls some information Tink had given her, something about Robin being the only one arriving at the E.R – no other victims, just him, and… a report of an obit at the crash site.

 _It can't be._

She feels Tink's grip around her tightening slightly, and she realizes she is crying more forcefully all over again. She should ask, just question her friend about the boy and she would know… Does she want to know?

She doesn't think she would be able to handle it. She wouldn't. She loves that boy as her own, she would protect him with her life-

"Gina!"

The voice echoing in her ears is strangely familiar, has her pulling away from her friend's embrace, wondering if this is her mind playing tricks on her - she could almost swear she heard Roland's sweet voice calling her the adorable way he uses to say her name, but it's highly unlikely that the scream had come from Robin's son – somebody would have told her about the boy the minute he set foot in that hospital, right?

"Gina!"

She stands, and she _does_ see those adorable brown eyes staring right at her as he runs in her direction, his dark curls bouncing with every step he takes, his arms stretched in a silent plea for Regina to scoop him up in her arms.

She does just that. Wraps her arms around his torso and holds him close to her chest, their hearts beating frantically in unison as they cling desperately to each other, "Roland! Roland, are you alright?"

"I'm scared," he buries his face in the crook of her neck, seeking comfort, she thinks, and that's exactly what she plans to give him right now – she cannot imagine what the boy must have witnessed and lived during those five dreadful minutes of his life – and so she doesn't think of releasing him anytime soon, not even if she feels his little tears damping the skin of her neck, tears she yearns to wipe away, but which are not so important as her little boy's comfort. She finds his presence just as soothing for her as it is for him, and so she buries her nose in the boy's hair, moves her hand up and down his back, making sure that he's really there with her, that this is not a dream. She was so worried that something would take him away from her.

"It's okay, Roland, I'm here," she feels him wincing at her touch, and the action has her putting a little more distance between them, enough for her to examine him up close, finding some smaller cuts on his perfect baby skin. The most disturbing is the one just above his eyebrow – it looks deep, and the dried blood won't let her get a better look, but she has to make sure he won't need a severe medical treatment, "Roland… can you show me where it hurts? I promise I can make it better."

But the boy shakes his heads, cries a "Noo," that makes Regina sigh in despair.

"He wouldn't let me do it," a feminine voice comes from behind the brunette, from a nurse she didn't even notice was there for this whole time, someone who had known for who knows how long that her boy was there in the hospital and hadn't told her right away.

Regina sees red. Everyone in that department knows Robin, everyone knows him and Roland are her family, why didn't she tell her?

"How long has he been here?" the brunette asks in response, apparently more sharply than she had anticipated, because Tink is interrupting her before the woman has the opportunity to respond, her voice soft as she tries to make Regina see their point.

"We thought Rose would be the perfect person to look after Roland for a while," her friend explains, placing her hand on Regina's back and giving her a look, "After what happened, we wanted to give you some time, so we asked Rose to stay with Roland and check for any injury that would need treatment."

That… makes sense, Regina thinks as she tightens her grip on the boy - it doesn't make her feel better about the whole situation, but it makes her anger towards the other woman decrease almost immediately. She doesn't really need time. She _needs_ to be with her family and it's pretty obvious Roland needs to be with her as well.

Nevertheless, she gives the nurse an apologetic look, one the woman is quick to dismiss, assuring that it's only natural that she would want to know about the boy as soon as possible, "Most of his injuries appear to be scrapes and cuts, but you may want to be sure he doesn't have any foreign objects stuck in the wounds."

"I will," she tells her, shifting her hold on the boy and preparing to walk back the direction she came, "Thank you, Rose."

 **…**

It takes an ice cream and half an hour for Regina to succeed to convince Roland to let her tend to his wounds. The boy hadn't been willing to let go of her, and she was glad when Tink had come up with the idea of the sugary treat. It's middle of October, and the air is cold already, but Roland never refused an offer of ice cream. Today was no different.

So when the blonde arrived with a scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone, a few napkins in her left hand, Roland had offered her the first dimpled smile since the whole nightmare a few hours ago. Something that made Regina's lips tilt up as well. His wounds were not as bad as it could have been, causing a sense of relief to settle over the brunette.

Her hand moves up and down his back, careful to not touch any of his injuries. It's scary to think about what she could have lost, her family. The bandage over his eyebrow still causes tears gathering in her eyes, but at least she knows he will be alright, he's safe. The same can't be said about his father.

Pushing away those thoughts, Regina focuses solely on the boy on her lap. A white blanket is laid over both of them while Roland finishes eating what's left of the cone. Maybe when Marian arrives to pick up Roland she will talk to Tink about Robin.

She leans back against the back of the chair, closes her eyes for a moment. She's tired, the whole thing is tearing her down. She wants to be strong for the boy, _needs_ to be strong for herself, for Robin, but right now, she fears she can't do it-

"Gina, do you want some?" her thoughts are interrupted by a sweet voice, as Roland holds the ice cream out for her, "It will make you happy, it makes _me_ happy."

She offers the boy a genuine smile, brushes away the single tear she hadn't been able to secure, "That's great, sweetheart, that's why I want you to have it all-"

"Roland!"

Regina barely has time to finish her words before another brunette comes barging in, startling the little boy on her lap.

"Roland, my baby," Marian crouches in front of her son, slightly out of breath. She had been in a rush to get there, Regina notices, as the mother cups Roland's cheeks in her hands, her eyes moving to study every inch of the boy's skin, "Are you alright? Come here," Marian immediately scoops him up in her arms, drops a lingering kiss to his temple.

It's only natural that she's been worried – she's his mother, after all - but Regina can't help but feel a bit sad when the boy is suddenly removed from her arms. She sees him as her own as well, and knowing she's about to face the remainder of the evening all alone causes a sick feeling in Regina's stomach. Roland is always able to make her feel better, is definitely a welcome distraction.

"He's going to be alright, has a few cuts and bruises, but he was very strong to let me take care of him," Regina stands from her seat, offering a small smile when she addresses the last words to Marian's son. It was hard to convince him to let her do it, but she doesn't think that's worth mention.

To her surprise, Marian reaches out and grips one of her hands, giving it a light squeeze in response, "Thank you," she whispers through her tears, a genuine look on her face. She never really had a relationship with Marian – Robin does all the talk when it comes to Roland – but she can't say they hate each other either. It's just… awkward. She always hears Robin's side, protesting that he doesn't get enough time with his son, but it's not like she has something against the other woman, personally.

"Gina, can we see papa now?" Roland's voice saves her from answering to his mother, his eyes pleading for an affirmative response. Something she can't give him right now.

"Not today, baby-"

"Why?" he cries, clearly unaware of what has really happened. Of course, if he is alright, how do you explain a three-year-old that his papa had not escaped unscathed from the accident? There's no way to do it, and so that's why Regina tries to come up with another excuse, runs a hand over the boy's back as she thinks… and thinks.

"Daddy is tired, we should let him rest, and you will spend the weekend with your mama, that's fun, right?" Everything to see him smile, even if it pains her to lie to the boy. But Roland doesn't have to know the truth, not right now, and then Robin will recover from this nightmare, and offer them his dimpled smile she so much adores.

"How is he?" Marian mouths the words, inaudible for little ears.

"I don't really know much, I…"

"Do _you_ need something?"

The question takes her by surprise, not really expecting all the support she's receiving from her fiancé's ex-wife. Or maybe pity. Whatever it is, Regina is thankful that Marian is trying to make the situation easier. Maybe they don't talk too much, maybe they will never be friends, but right now… right now all the attention makes her heart swell. So Regina offers her a grateful smile, shakes her head and assures, "I'm fine, Tink is making sure of that."

"If you have any news..."

"I will let you know," Regina promises, walking the other brunette back to the main entrance.

 **\- Saturday –**

 **October 14, 2017**

She is not in her room. That's the first thing that comes to her mind when she slowly returns to the land of the living. There's a nagging pain all over her body, getting more intense every time she tries to move a muscle. She feels a cold breeze hitting her back, but Regina just cuddles further into her blanket. She's still exhausted, just needs a bit more time before her friend comes barging in to wake her up - she hadn't really been able to sleep, but no one had accomplished to convince her to go home the night before.

She sighs, shifts in her seat, immediately followed by a hiss of pain. Damn chairs, it should be more comfortable considering they work overnight, sometimes pulling double shifts.

Regina blinks her eyes open, her vision blurred from the remains of sleep - the staff room is dark, apart from a small lamp placed over a table near the furthest wall. Her thoughts shift towards Robin, and the reason behind her sleepover at the hospital. She remembers him lying on that bed, a lot of blood, paramedics working fast in an attempt to help her fiancé… and then Roland. Frightened. Terrified. Clinging to her with every fiber of his existence. She hadn't even been able to comfort him properly. She failed him, and that is breaking her heart.

She wanted to be there for him, hold him in her arms. But she had ended up here by herself, and the prospect of losing her family is too real in Regina's mind: if something bad happens to Robin, then… she will probably lose Roland too, because Marian won't let her be a part of the little boy's life.

And now it's not just about her anymore.

She moves her hand over her flat belly, for a split second, before the door to the room opens behind her. She turns around to see Tink standing a few feet away from her, a steaming mug and a pack of biscuits clutched in her hands. She's wearing the same outfit under the white gown, Regina notices, wondering if she had spent the whole night there working.

Tink walks the few steps that separate them, placing the mug and the cookies in front of her on the table.

"I made you some tea. Are you feeling better?" her friend asks with a small smile on her lips, Regina's silence telling her everything she needs to know, "You should go home, Regina, get some rest."

"I can't," the brunette shakes her head, as she had done so many times before - when Tink tried to convince her last night, telling her Robin was stable for now. But Regina knows better, knows that he is still unconscious, that his situation is still delicate. She wouldn't just leave. She reaches carefully for the tea in front of her, taking a sip of the beverage before muttering, "Let me see him."

"You know you shouldn't," the blonde doctor tells her, making Regina let out a muffled sob. She doesn't understand. She has so much to talk to him, he doesn't know about the baby currently growing in her belly, she didn't even have time to tell him. She needs to encourage him to keep fighting for their family. She just needs to see him and make sure he is still alive, see with her own eyes. Placing a hand on Regina's back, Tink reconsiders, "If I let you see him… will you go home and rest for the day?"

Regina doesn't answer, not right away. She has no desire to return to her empty house, not without Robin, anyway. But she knows she needs to rest for the baby's sake, and it would allow her to have a few minutes with Robin…

She considers the offer for a moment, eyes wet with her tears. She really _needs_ to see him…

"I promise," she rises from her seat when her friend gives her a small smile in return, following her towards the lift.

 **…**

As she follows Tink through the halls in the hospital, Regina tries to prepare herself for what she is about to face - Robin won't respond her, will probably not even hear her. This is not how she had planned to tell him about their baby. All thoughts about surprising him, and planning a night for them to celebrate it are quickly vanishing from her mind with each step she takes. She had wanted to wait because she knows the risks of losing the baby are higher during the first weeks of the pregnancy, but she won't wait to tell him anymore, not even if he will not really hear it. The events of the previous night had opened her eyes, and who knows how much time left they have together. She wants him to enjoy every minute of this new chapter with her, hopefully gather some strengths from it to recover from this nightmare.

It should be a joyful time, not a living hell. They had talked about the possibility to bring a new member to their family and grant Roland's wish of being a big brother, but right now… she just wished her family wasn't falling apart.

She opens the door to Robin's room, closing her eyes before she could really catch a glimpse of him. She is anxious to see him, but she dreads he will look worse than what she thought. She knows he has a broken arm and had suffered a concussion, but she doesn't know how bad it is.

When she _does_ open her eyes to see it for herself, Regina is at a loss for words. Robin's head and arm are bandaged, and he has some smaller cuts on his face (his torso is hidden from view, but she can imagine it has a few bruises as well). He's lucky to be alive, she tries to tell herself, walking towards the bed. This is not the worst case scenario, not even close. She _will_ have Robin back.

She stops herself before she runs her hand cautiously over his face, careful to not touch any bruised skin - her fingers are barreling touching him, afraid to hurt him even more. For a moment, she feels extremely thankful that his son hadn't suffered more than a few cuts and bruises, which, judging by the sight in front of her, had been more than a stroke of luck.

"Robin…" she whispers almost hopeful that he will open his eyes for her. When he doesn't, her gaze shifts to the bandage on his head, stained with blood, his chest moving slightly with his breathing, "I thought I had lost you."

She takes his good hand in hers, bringing it to her belly and holding it in place for him, "I need you to wake up and get better, there's so much happening right now."

She doesn't really know what to say, she just wished he would be able to _feel_ it, like she did when she found out she was pregnant two days ago. She had felt something was different on her body, and since she and Robin had been trying to conceive, she had run a few tests on her own, finding out she is three weeks pregnant. She has been feeling extremely exhausted, her breasts are tender and she had run to the bathroom more times than she can count on one day. She had been over the moon, excited to tell Robin.

"It's not noticeable yet, but we'll have another tiny Locksley relying on us and I can't do it without you."

She _refuses_ to do it without him.

"I want to see you holding our baby, teach him to ride a bike, take us camping," she chuckles when she hears her own words – she hates camping, but she would do everything to see him smile again. She never told him how much she loves his dimples, she never told him how much she loves him…

"Regina," she jumps on her spot when she hears the door to the room opening, not once taking her eyes off the man lying on the bed in front of her. He seems so peaceful, yet she can't imagine what he must have felt the moment he realized his life was on the line.

She feels Tink's hand stopping on her arm, silently letting her know her time with Robin has come to an end, "I'm sorry, we have to let him rest, but you have someone downstairs waiting for you," the blonde doctor tells her, actually drawing Regina's attention with that.

The brunette nods, glances a last time at her fiancé, and follows her friend towards the main entrance.

The sight which she's welcome with is not one Regina was expecting. Standing a few feet away from her are Emma and her ten-year-old son, and an old man Regina recognizes all too well.

"Daddy," she calls under her breath, stepping into his open arms when she reaches him, his hands immediately moving up and down the brunette's back, "What are you doing here?"

Henry doesn't answer right away, but Regina knows the real reason. She knows Tink must have called, maybe in an effort to make her go home and rest – it's the last thing she wants to do right now, both abandon Robin and sleep, but she promised she would do it if her friend would let her see her fiancé.

"Mom told us what happened," it's Emma's son who answers her question, causing Regina to shift her gaze towards her precious godson.

"Henry," she smiles, stretching her arms, "Come here."

"Can we see Robin?" the little boy asks, unaware of how Regina shifts uncomfortably in their embrace, tightening the grip around his little body. He clearly is too young to fully understand the consequences of the accident, but Regina won't tell him either. She didn't even want Henry in the middle of this mess, knowing how important Robin is for him as well. He's like the father her godson never had, being raised by his mother with Regina's help, since they were both eighteen years old.

She runs her hand through his brown hair, mentally preparing herself to disappoint her godson with the same excuse with she disappointed Robin's son, "We can't, Henry, we should let him rest, he…" _He's not even allowed to have visits,_ she would say, but that would make the situation appear so much worse. The last thing she wants is to worry a child, definitely not when she can't promise him everything will be alright.

"Hey, kid, why don't you tell Regina why are we here," Emma intervenes.

The boy nods, takes a step back, the tip of his lips tilting up in a smile when he tells her, "Mom thought we could have lunch together."

"And your mother and I would love to have you home tonight."

Her father's offer it's what takes her by surprise. She never really had a good relationship with her mother, and Cora had made pretty clear that she didn't want anything to do with her own daughter when Regina announced her engagement with Robin. She had ruined any chances of Cora arranging a wealthy marriage to her daughter. Her mother never liked Robin. Would argue he doesn't have a job (apparently working in a bar is not enough), and that he is just a drunk who wants to marry her because of _her_ money. That was it. The final straw that made Regina chose to cut ties with her own mother.

And so Regina asks the only thing that comes to her mind, already knowing the answer will be a complete lie, "Mother wants me there?"

"Of course, she wants, sweetheart, she's your mother and she loves you no matter what," he sounds convincing enough, if Regina didn't know her mother like the back of her hand.

So she shakes her head, already expecting those words. Her mother doesn't love her, she doesn't love anybody. She's selfish, greedy, and Regina knows she's probably happy to know what happened to her fiancé. Pursing her lips to keep those words from leaving her mouth, Regina takes a step closer to her father, giving his forearms a light squeeze, "You don't have to lie to me, daddy, I know mother, but I wouldn't refuse an offer to spend the night at our house with you. Not because of her."

"Good," he smiles proudly, the look in his eyes so much different than the scowl she always receives from her mother, "You were always this determined."

When her father pulls her for a second embrace, Regina allows herself to relax in his arms, as if she was a little girl all over again, "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too."

Regina's whole expression shifts when she feels her father's lips pressed against her temple, leaving a kiss before she takes a step back and shifts her attention to mother and son beside them. She envies their relationship, in a healthy way. Emma would do everything to see Henry happy, and it's pretty clear she is proud of the young man he became. She could have given him up – she was too young and alone when she found out she was pregnant – but she didn't. She fought for them, something her mother never had to do. She doesn't know what is like to work to support a family, maybe she would treasure what she has if she knew.

 _You can have a comfortable life, Regina, you can have anything you want if you choose the right person. You don't need love, love is weakness._

She still can hear her words, talking her into a marriage with someone she didn't even know, as long as he had a healthy bank account. It feels so wrong to just think about it, and thankful Regina had taken after her father, his caring nature.

"So, lunch at Granny's?" Emma's voice interrupts her thoughts, leading the group out of the hospital before she could even focus another minute of her time on her worthless mother.

 **…**

She steps onto the porch of her childhood home with a nauseating feeling deep inside in Regina's stomach. The light in the foyer is on, she can see through the small glasses framing the front door, but she is not expecting to be welcomed with open arms, is not even expecting her mother to be waiting for her, standing on the other side of the door, her expression strict as she had always seen in her mother's cold face.

Regina waits patiently beside her father. She is not really looking forward to see her mother, and so the time it takes for him to fetch his keys and open the door it's not really something that bothers Regina. Quite the contrary. Perhaps she will be able to avoid Cora tonight, and then tomorrow she will wake up early and leave to the hospital first thing in the morning.

So much for that to be true.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs is her mother, waiting for her, with an unusual smile on her lips that make Regina cringe internally. She takes a few steps to meet her daughter halfway, her high-heeled shoes clicking loudly on the hardwood floor.

"Regina, my sweet little girl," her mother's voice is followed by a pair of arms wrapping around Regina's torso, taking both the brunette and even her father by surprise with the embrace. Cora is not a loving person, not really one for close contact, and so it takes some time for Regina to return the gesture, placing her hands on her mother's back while her eyes can't seem to help but study her surroundings.

The inside of the house is just like Regina remembers. Her mother's style: hardwood floors, white walls, much like Regina's own house, but this one feels so much… colder. She believes people make the house too, and with Robin and Roland, her house is definitely not the same anymore. Where she previously had a neat hallway, with her coat and purse hung on the hooks beside the door, she now has muddy shoes left on the rug, and little jackets lying on the floor because Roland is still too small to reach the hangers.

In the living room, the toys replaced the expensive decorations, and the shelf placed in one of the corners is now definitely more attractive with all the colors of the children's book mixed with her boring black ones. She thinks it's perfect. She finally feels at home with them, and she wonders why her mother can't seem to understand that. She should want to see her happy. As a mother herself, that is the only thing Regina wishes for Roland and even for the baby currently growing in her belly.

"Mother," Regina acknowledges under her breath, taking in the stern look Cora insists on keeping even inside her own house – the black pantsuit, the heavy makeup, the high-heeled shoes that give her look a dash of authority. Her hair is straight and falling over her shoulders, only a few untamed curls decorating the ends, "Thank you… for allowing me to stay here."

The woman shakes her head as if dismissing Regina's gratitude, moving her hands to remove the hair away from the brunette's face. What a pretty good act, considering the last words her mother told her were to get the hell out of her house.

"Nonsense, darling, you're always welcome here."

Regina could laugh. 'She's welcome there?' How is she supposed to feel welcome when her mother made it pretty clear she wanted to cut ties with her own daughter?

"I asked Johanna to get your old room ready, in case you wanted to retreat early."

The mention of the maid and Regina's old room has the brunette perking up slightly.

She misses Johanna and her surprises every time Regina would come home from school, which always ended up being some kind of sugary treat that her mother would never allow Regina to enjoy. The maid had been a second mother to her for more than fifteen years, always making sure to comfort her when Cora didn't, or just spoiling her with small, but significant, gestures. She never believed she still worked for her mother.

"Thank you… do you know where I can find her?"

"If she's doing her job, I would imagine in your bedroom." Regina walks towards the stairs before she could even think about an answer to give to her mother, knowing the old maid had never given her any reason to doubt about her job.

When no one stops her, Regina breathes a sigh of relief, not in the mood to deal with Cora. After everything that happened she just needs a good night of sleep, something she is not sure she will be able to have, knowing in the morning she will face her mother one more time. She had always been an early riser, much to Regina's misfortune to have Cora dragging her out of the bed as well.

Her bedroom is a few doors away from her parents', at the end of the hall, and she's curious to see if it remains just as she had left it. She imagines her mother had wanted to get rid of all her things, maybe even turn the whole space into another guest room.

To Regina's surprise, that's definitely not the case. Her bedroom is untouched.

Johanna is nowhere to be seen, but the room is neat and clean, the bed made with white silk sheets just waiting for her to turn in for the night. The big black chandelier, as well as two table lamps, illuminate the room, as Regina closes the door behind her.

Everything is the same, but at the same time, it feels so different.

She slowly walks towards the black wood vanity, running her hand over the expensive cologne bottles identical to the ones she had left behind when she first moved to college. She remembers telling herself she didn't need any of those things, that she would live a life with her own extravagance and not her mother's. After she met Robin, she finally understood what is really important – and it's definitely not some luxurious colognes.

When she shifts her gaze towards the mirror hanging on the wall, her vision is blurry, the tears gathering in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. She's scared. Afraid that something bad will happen to one of the most important people in her life.

A knock on the door, fortunately, pushes her away from her own overwhelming thoughts, a soft "Regina," following it almost immediately. Kind blue eyes light up when she sees her, as the old woman pushes the door open quietly.

"Johanna," Regina takes a tentative step towards her old maid, waits until the woman closes the door behind her. It feels so good to be reunited with her again, her strong arms enveloping her in a much-needed embrace, "I never thought I would see you again."

She relishes in the feeling of being hugged by someone closer to a mother figure than really Cora, clutches tightly at the woman's vest as if she could vanish at any moment. She's still frightened by what the next few days have reserved for her and Robin, but she feels so much safe in her maid's arms. She smells like home, makes Regina feel like she is fourteen years old all over again, when she would come to her maid to talk about the normal problems of a teenage girl. It would always be Johanna to comfort her, to help her to come up with a solution for said problems, promising her everything would be alright. Being here, in her maid's arms, is just what Regina needed right now, some light in the darkness that were her last two days.

"Let me look at you," Johanna takes a step back and takes in the sight of Regina right there in front of her, her hand running over the brunette's hair, "You are not the stubborn teenage girl anymore."

Regina offers her a watery chuckle, inviting the old woman to sit beside her on the edge of the bed. No, she's not. So much has happened since the last time she saw her maid. She went to college to study medicine, where she met Daniel, her first boyfriend and the only one her mother had ever approved of. Once they both graduated, they talked about move in together, start a family, something Regina was sure she wanted with Daniel until the day she found him between another woman's legs. Everything fell apart in that moment. Every memory they shared, every plan they had, even Regina's hopes to find a love like theirs again. From that point on, Regina had had other relationships, but nothing as serious as she thought she had with Daniel. Until the day she met Robin. He taught her to love again, to keep her heart open to the possibility of trust somebody again. It had been two amazing years, full of memories and precious family moments… that had fallen apart with the events of two days ago.

For the last ten years, she never set foot in her mother's house again, her relationship with Cora getting worse day after day.

"It is so pretty," she hears Johanna whisper, her thumb moving carefully over the engagement ring on Regina's finger, "Robin knows you too well."

What? The brunette frowns at those words, confused to hear how Johanna seems to know about her fiancé. There was never a moment when she had the opportunity to meet Robin, nor was Regina who had told her about him. If there was a person who could have talked about this with Johanna, that person would be her father. Regina doesn't really believe Cora would share something about their personal life with their _maid_.

"How…"

"Don't tell your mother, but I couldn't stop myself from overhearing some of her conversations if it would allow me to know how my Regina was doing."

Regina gives her a genuine smile, shifting her gaze towards the white gold band. She doesn't want to imagine what her mother must have said about Robin, doesn't even suspect why her mother would talk about her fiancé in the first place… maybe he was a subject for conversation over her tea time with her friends.

"Your secret is safe with me," Regina tells her, her smile faltering when her gaze shifts to the old maid, "So you know-"

"I know what happened, yes."

On one hand, Regina is glad she doesn't have to explain to her maid what brings her back to her mother's house after all this time, but this just means her private life is not as private as she had thought. She doesn't like the thought of her mother sharing things about her relationship with Robin with women like her, doesn't like to imagine other people weighing in on something that is none of their business. She knows how Cora is against her relationship with Robin, but she has no right to slander her fiancé.

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to."

"Can we… talk about him? I think it will help… if you don't mind?" Regina asks, and at Johanna's nod, she tells her, "I met him two years ago, one day. It was several years after my breakup with Daniel, but my mother still bugged me about how wrong it had been to leave a man like him. I felt alone. And confused… I distanced myself from everyone for a while... Robin helped me. He was just the sort of friend I needed. He didn't know Daniel like most of my friends did… He was someone new, a fresh start. I fell in love too quickly."

Regina gives her a sad smile, her hands fidgeting with the ring on her finger. She remembers the day she first met Robin as if it was yesterday, the way he had made her forget about everything for those few hours, or how she had laughed genuinely at the things he said.

"He seems a fine young man," Johanna offers.

"My mother wouldn't agree. The day I told her about Robin's proposal, she was awful. She told me if I married him, she didn't want anything to do with me… or with any children that could come from our relationship," she purses her lips after she says those words, her thoughts immediately shifting to the baby currently growing in her belly, "Robin has a son… Roland, he's three. She never made the effort to get to know him, but it's fine, I don't think I want her near him either… I'm scared for him. Of course, I can't stand the thought of losing Robin, but if something happens, Roland will be devastated."

They are so close. Thick as thieves. Just like Regina and her father.

"I love him as my own, they are my family."

"You _will_ be such a good mother," Johanna smiles, taking Regina by surprise with her certainty… there is no way she knows about her pregnancy too, "And I tell you this because I _know_ Robin will get better, and you will make such beautiful babies."

Regina's lips tilt up in a smile, as she fights the urge to place her hand over her stomach. _Oh, if she only knew…_

Without another word, she wraps her arms around her maid for a second time that evening, her eyes filling with unexpected tears. She doesn't want to cry anymore, she wants to believe. Robin didn't die in that accident, he's still alive, fighting for his life and he's one of the most persistent persons she ever met.

"Thank you," Regina whispers, pulling back, "Would you like to meet him?"

"Of course," Johanna says, making Regina laugh at her enthusiasm, "You will let me know when it's right."

"It's a deal then," the brunette tells her before she's interrupted by a sleepy yawn. It had been two long days without a proper night of sleep, and with a baby consuming all her energy, she hopes she will be able to get some sleep tonight, "Please, tell my mother I won't be down for dinner, I think I will turn in for the night earlier today."

* * *

 **Thoughts? Would you be happy if I continue it?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

 **\- Sunday –**

 **October 15, 2017**

Regina wakes up on Sunday morning to the scent of a freshly baked breakfast being served in the kitchen downstairs.

She feels her stomach protest with hunger, knowing she needs to eat something more consistent than tea and some cookies, the only food she had managed to put in her belly since the terrible events of two days ago. She can't just think about herself from now on, she remembers herself of the baby currently growing in her belly every day - it's not really a baby yet, she's three weeks pregnant, which should just work to remind her that she really has to take good care of herself to avoid any risk of losing her child.

So she blinks her eyes open when she decides to get up, squinting when she's blinded by the bright light that comes from the windows. Who the hell would open the curtains?

Her body is heavy when she makes a move to turn around in an effort to shield her vision from the light, her eyes fighting to remain open as she snuggles further into the covers. She's comfortable, and maybe there is no point in leaving the bed at this precise moment. She can sleep for a few more minutes, maybe an hour…

"Regina," she opens her eyes again to see a familiar face staring right at her, standing beside her bed in a white silk robe, her arms crossed over her chest as Cora looks disapproving at her daughter.

So much for a peaceful morning.

Regina sighs, frowns in confusion to see her mother in her bedroom, not making a move to get up from the comfort of her king-size bed.

"Mother," Regina manages in her raspy voice of sleep, "What are you doing here?"

The older woman rolls her eyes in a way that reminds the brunette too much of herself, occupies a free spot on the mattress as she reaches forward to run her hand through Regina's hair.

She doesn't stop her, although it is an unusual gesture from her mother, she finds she is in no mood to argue with Cora right now. So she doesn't say a word as she waits for her mother to answer her question, shifting a bit to the side to give Cora more room to sit beside her.

"I'm here to take you for breakfast," she says as if it was something she would do every day, offering her a smile that doesn't really fit the look she was giving her just a few seconds ago, "Johanna is cooking your favorite pancakes."

"Oh," Regina breathes, suddenly feeling hesitant about this whole situation. Why is her mother being… nice? She finds herself wishing she would just be Cora, at least she wouldn't feel like everyone is pitying her since what happened to Robin two days ago, "I'm not really hungry right now," she lies, "I think I will just stay in bed for a little longer."

"No, you don't," Cora says, and well, that's more like the mother she knows, isn't it? "You missed dinner last night, are you trying to starve yourself? And because of that man…"

"Mother," she interrupts before those words could turn into an argument, "Alright, I'm going downstairs with you," she relents. She has to eat anyway, and she doesn't think she will be able to go back to sleep after this conversation with her mother.

She waits for Cora to stand from the bed before she gets up herself, wrapping her own silk robe around her body and following her mother out of the room and down the wooden staircase. There's a strong smell of food filling the whole house, causing a reflexive gag at the back of Regina's throat.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, the brunette thinks. She is hungry, and she knows she has to eat, but she had read somewhere that during this week of the pregnancy, she could become more sensitive to a few smells, and she is sure today that is proving to be true. Of all the days.

She hears her father's voice as soon as she steps into the kitchen, his soft tone keeping her from excusing herself and retreat to the bedroom, where she would rather spend the morning instead, "Regina, how was the evening?" he asks, as she presses her lips together at the sight of so much food over the table.

Oh God, and she's not even suffering from morning sickness just yet.

"It was fine, thank you."

Henry smiles, covering her hand above the table with his own when she occupies the seat beside him, "So, what is the plan for today-"

"Oh, for God's sake, Henry, you know we have plans for today," Cora interrupts, taking Regina by surprise with that information. They have plans? Since when? Regina would think she would take her time eating her breakfast, and then she would drive to the hospital because there's really nothing more she can do besides visiting her fiancé, is it? She is surprised to see her father probably knew already about this little plan of her mother, he is running his hands over his face, a warning _'Cora…'_ leaving his lips.

She watches as both her parents change disapproving glances, each one scolding the other without needing any words. She also notices the look on Johanna's face before she turns back to the stove, but Regina doesn't dare to ask, just looks back at her father, her voice quiet as she tells him, "I was hoping you could drive me to the hospital."

"We have an important brunch to attend to," her mother tells her, matter-of-factly, "And you, darling, are the guest of honor."

Regina doesn't reply, lost for words.

Her brows furrow in confusion, her lips moving as if she wants to say something, but nothing comes out. A brunch? She doesn't want to go to a brunch, she wants to be with Robin. She should have known better than to believe in the ridiculous display of affection her mother had put in for her since the night before, should have known that it was too good to be true. And the worst of all is that Cora believes this is a good way of keeping her entertained, telling her how better it will make her feel if she just distances herself from the whole situation.

"You will be distracted, without time to brood about what happened."

"I don't want to ignore what happened, mother, I want to be there when Robin wakes up."

Cora rolls her eyes at that, clearly dismissing Regina's words when she tells her, "I'm sure you can spend two hours of your day in a brunch with your mother."

"Did you even wonder if I _want_ to go with you?"

Cora stops midway of sipping her coffee, looking outraged at her daughter as if she had said the most shocking thing in the world, "Regina Mills!" she scolds, her lips pursing with irritation, "You are going to this brunch and that's that," her mother rises from her seat, but thankfully does not say another word before she walks away from the kitchen.

There is no way she will leave Robin in favor of attending this event with Cora.

Henry offers her an apologetic look, taking a sip of his own drink. He looks conflicted, his lips lingering on the rim of the mug as if buying time to think about what telling her next. She loves her father, she really does, but sometimes he's too much her mother's puppet. He never, but _never_ , goes against Cora's wishes.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he says almost under his breath, taking Regina aback with his apologies.

"Why are you sorry?" Regina scoffs, a confused frown on the brunette's face. It's not Henry's fault that her mother had come up with this plan. Unless he had encouraged this whole thing, he has nothing to do with her mother's whims.

"I'm sorry about your mother, she… she is thrilled to have you back, she really is. I know all you want right now is to be with Robin, but you _know_ her. You know she loves you and wants the best for you… in her own way. The brunch is her way of celebrating you being here, even if I don't really agree with it."

Regina's expression softens a bit. Her father is staring at her, studying her. His hand is still gripping hers, while the other moves the mug to his lips one more time.

"So do you think…" she can't believe she will really say this, can't believe she's even considering it an option, "Do you think I should go?"

"Not at all," a smirk forms on his lips, his smile widening when Regina chuckles at his words, "I think you should do what you think is best. I was merely stating your mother's reasons. I don't want you to go to the brunch to be thinking you should be somewhere else the whole time, I want you to do what's best for _you_ ," her father tells her, the typical speech of a father that will help her to get nowhere, "All I can say is that I will go with you wherever you choose. I won't let you alone with your mother, nor will I leave you by yourself in the hospital. I can't make the decision for you, sweetheart, but I will support you, I will talk to your mother if I need to-"

"I guess I can go to the brunch," the words that come out of her mouth surprise them both. She just knows she will regret this later, but right now she (probably foolishly) believes her mother's intentions are good.

"Are you sure?"

Regina nods her head, takes a bite from one of the pancakes, after assuring her father, "I am. For all I know, Robin is still unconscious and I can always ask you to drive me to the hospital if Tink calls… and I _do_ want to try to have a good relationship with mother."

His smile is back on his lips when Henry tells her, "You're a good girl," and this time, it's Regina who gives her father's hand a little squeeze, before excusing herself to go take a shower - the smirk on Henry's lips when he notices the untouched mug with coffee his daughter left behind, going unnoticed by Regina.

 **…**

Her mother had been thrilled. Had walked Regina back towards her bedroom, where a knee-length dress had been waiting for her over the mattress. It was a bold red one that hugged every curve of Regina's body, and allowed a glimpse of fair skin through the small opening on the front. It was beautiful. Regardless how Regina believed her everyday outfits would work just fine. Her mother had disagreed, of course - she was never a woman to slack about an outfit even for just a day of her life – and so Regina had accepted to wear the dress her mother had chosen for her, as long as it would serve to prevent another argument with Cora.

Her mother had been putting a lot of effort into this brunch, though Regina didn't know why. For all she knew, this was just another meal with her parents, with maybe the visit of a few of her mother's friends because, as her father had put it, 'this was Cora's way of celebrating her daughter being there'… As if Regina was in the mood for celebrations. She hated when her mother did this, she was not some trophy for Cora to parade around.

Wrapping her coat tightly around her body, she follows her mother out of the black Mercedes. It's cold outside, the air already chill for the end of the second week of October, causing a breath of relief to leave Regina's lungs when she's engulfed in the warm air of the coffee shop. She recognizes the large wooden tables filling the whole space, the glass display cabinets where several jars of coffee are kept, and the bright light coming from the big windows lighting up the room… Regina used to love this place. Used to escape her mother's house for a mug of this coffee, a perfect afternoon with a hot beverage and the best company. Or so she thought.

It's the memories of _who_ she used to come here with that send a wave of pain through her heart.

She remembers how she used to lie to her mother about these meetings with Daniel, afraid she would think her boyfriend at the time was not good enough for her daughter - although that has proven to be true. But he was studying to be a doctor, just like Regina, and so was clear her mother would approve of him, as long as he was successful and could provide a comfortable and wealthy life to her daughter.

Pushing away those thoughts, Regina waits beside her father as Cora walks towards the waitress, whispering something that none of them seem to hear. Hopefully, this won't take too long. She still needs to visit Robin, maybe stop at her house to pack some of his things... It's when she shifts her gaze back to look at her mother that her heart stops.

It can't be. What is he doing here? How did he know?

She tightens the grip on her father's arm, staring back at two familiar blue eyes. The man stops right in front of her, her mother's hand is placed on his arm, his own palm covering Cora's, "Regina. It is so good to see you again."

"Daniel," she stutters, her gaze shifting between her mother and her ex-boyfriend, "What are you doing here?"

Cora gives her a disapproving scowl that goes unnoticed by the other man. Of course, this had to be her mother's doing. She is clearly up to something, "Don't be rude, Regina, Daniel heard about what happened to Robin, so we thought it would be a good surprise to invite him for our brunch."

Regina almost laughs. Almost. How in the world would be a good idea to have brunch with him? They ended their relationship pretty badly, with Regina refusing to even look at his face. If her mother didn't know it, he himself should have had the decency to reject the invitation.

"You _know_ this is far from a 'good surprise', mother," Regina pulls her father with her when she moves to walk away from them, wishing her mother would just leave her alone.

For her displeasure, though, Cora stops her, "Stop being a child and listen to what he has to say-"

"It's alright, Cora, maybe I shouldn't have come."

Oh, how altruistic of him. She really doesn't need this right now. Daniel knows how she feels about him, knows she doesn't want to hear any more apologies on his part. He had tried to apologize already, had tried to talk to her about what happened between them, telling her how sorry about everything he is, how he was such a fool to let her escape. She already knows this, and she doesn't really want to hear everything once again. She may have thought Daniel was the man with whom she imagined she would spend the rest of her life with, but that was before she met Robin. The only man with whom she wants a family.

"Regina, give him a minute."

"I just think you deserve an explanation." That would have been true if she did want to hear it. She doesn't care about this anymore, doesn't care about _him_ anymore, had already suffered enough for him when he clearly didn't have the slightest respect for her. So she's done with this. Perfectly happy with her life right now.

"Save your breath, Daniel, this won't change anything," she makes a move to walk away from him one more time, but once again, she's stopped by a hand on her wrist.

"I did it because I missed you, we were drifting apart."

He must have thought twice about his gesture because when he locks eyes with her father, his grip on her arm loosens up a bit, until his hand is falling back to his side. She can't believe she's having this conversation in front of her parents, in the middle of a crowded cafe, and it just makes her anger towards Daniel increase all over again, "So you thought sleeping with another woman was a good option."

"You were never in the mood anymore, Regina, I-"

"You were the one who started 'working late'!" she feels her father's arm disentangle from hers, before he gives her a reassuring smile to silently tell her he will be waiting for her when she finishes this talk. She feels a wave of relief taking over her. Bless her father. She needs space, but at the same time, she needs to know she will not be left alone, so she's grateful her father is offering her both things. She's certain he didn't know about this visit, otherwise, he wouldn't have convinced her to come.

When her parents are a good few feet away from them, Daniel's voice echoes once again, "I loved you, I just wanted to give you space while you needed it."

"I'm sorry, Daniel, that's something I can't forgive."

Even if she wanted to. She is not a woman to be fooled a second time, not when it comes to an affair.

Regina adjusts the purse placed on her shoulder, as if a signal that she will not just sit and have brunch with him, but Daniel was always this adamant, "Do you think over time you will-"

"No," she says as soon as she understands what he is trying to ask, "I have a family now."

"Regina, I really love you-"

She barely has time to hear his last words before the ringtone of her phone shuts him up. She doesn't even bother to apologize, reaches for the device in her purse and checks the caller id. It's Tink. Her name flashes in big, bold letters, sending a wave of apprehension through Regina, "Tink?"

"Good morning," she hears when she brings the phone to her ear, turning her back to her ex-boyfriend.

Her friend doesn't sound as excited as she should if she is calling to give her good news about Robin, but Regina doesn't really give her any time to speak, beats her to it when she asks, "Is everything alright?"

"You'll be happy to know Robin woke up this morning," the doctor tells her, putting a smile on the brunette's lips, even if Regina is almost sure there's something more to this phone call. She doesn't really say anything more, waits as her friend continues, and soon enough, Tink's voice echoes on the other side of the line one more time, "I was hoping you could stop by."

"Of course," she says without thinking twice, adjusting the purse on her shoulder when she spots her father walking in her direction. Daniel is just there, standing awkwardly, without really knowing what to say or do, and good, because he shouldn't even be here in the first place, and if he feels off-balance it's certainly not Regina's fault, "Did something happen?"

"Nothing you need to worry about before I can talk to you," Tink assures, "Come find me when you arrive, alright?"

She barely has time to agree before Tink hangs up the phone. She sounded worried, which doesn't work to soothe Regina in the slightest. She takes a deep breath, places her phone back in her purse, just as she feels Henry's hand stop on her lower back. Something happened, it's all she can think about right now. Her eyes shift to meet her father's gaze, a silent request that she wants to get out of there. She wants to be with Robin, she knew she shouldn't have agreed to this brunch in the first place.

So she gives her mother an apologetic look and heads towards the exit, her father hot on her heels as he follows her out of the coffee shop and towards the car.

 **…**

There is no sign of her friend when Regina and her father arrive at the hospital half an hour later. Tink is nowhere to be seen, and so Regina walks further into the corridors of the hospital, in an attempt to find someone who can tell her where her fiancé currently is. After waiting for two days to see those blue eyes staring back at her all over again, there's no way she will wait another minute to see Robin, especially knowing he's probably already waiting for her by now.

So she heads towards the reception first, waits as Ashley finishes to attend to another customer. She's a sweet girl, had started to work there a year ago, after she had found out she was pregnant at nineteen and had been abandoned by her boyfriend. The opportunity to work there had helped her to make some money to support her and the baby, and so now she is a single mother, raising a baby girl with the money she makes at the hospital.

A small smile appears on Regina's lips, one of genuine pride for the girl currently standing on the other side of the counter. She knows it can't be easy to raise a baby all by herself, just like her friend Emma had done for the last ten years.

"Dr. Mills," Ashley turns from the other man and makes her way towards the brunette, placing some sheets in a pile before she stops in front of her, "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Ashley, do you know where I can find Tink?"

The girl glances quickly at the clock hanging on the wall, striking one in the afternoon on the dot.

"She's probably on her lunch break right now, did you try the staff room?"

Regina shakes her head in denial and considers her options. There's no point bothering her friend while she's in the middle of her lunch break, she can just talk to her when she is finished, and in the meantime, she can visit Robin to see with her own eyes that he is finally awake.

"I just wanted to know which room Robin is staying in, can you please tell me?" Regina asks her hopeful, and Ashley shifts her attention to the computer screen, searches for the information the brunette is asking for.

Regina stands there for a minute, waiting, not wanting to distract the girl from doing her job.

"Upstairs, room 244."

"Thank you so much, Ashley," Regina leaves the reception with a small smile on her face, her heart beating faster inside her chest when she disappears into the elevator.

 **…**

She hears his voice even before she steps out of the elevator - the door to his room is half-open, Regina notices, and so that familiar voice with which she had dreamed of hearing again soon echoes in her ears and puts a smile on Regina's lips.

She missed that voice. Being the first thing she would wake up to every morning, and fall asleep every evening. She misses his arms wrapped around her body and keeping her warm during the night, his breathing on the back of her neck as they sleep.

The sight with which she's welcoming when she steps into the room is nothing she wasn't expecting. He's wearing a white hospital gown – Regina hadn't had the mind for bringing one of his own pajamas, and she curses herself for not having thought of it earlier – and he is munching slowly on the soup he has in front of him, the rest of his lunch placed on a tray which a nurse is currently setting on the bedside table.

His eyes shift to meet her brown ones, and she has to stop herself from running towards him and wrap her arms around his body, to make sure he's alive.

They will have plenty of time to be in each other's arms later, and so she takes the few steps that separate her from his bed, the nurse's voice interrupting whatever she was planning on saying to her fiancé, "Dr. Mills, I was just finishing up here."

She offers the other woman a genuine smile and a nod of her head, her voice gentle when she tells her, "It's alright, Ratched, I don't want to interrupt," and so she waits until the nurse finishes her task and leaves the room, the tears starting to form in her eyes when she's finally left alone with Robin, "I'm so glad you're alright, I was so worried," her hand moves to wrap around his good one, his blue eyes shifting towards the movement.

"I'm sorry, have… have we met before?"

 **…**

 _Monday morning comes faster than Regina would have like it to._

 _She intended to arrive at the hospital a good half an hour before the beginning of her shift (because she likes to have time for herself, to drink a coffee), but when she finally reaches her destination after forty-five minutes in rush-hour traffic, she finds every spot to park her car is completely full. And she's late._

 _She sighs in frustration when she glances at the clock, drives in circles around the building in an effort to find a space close enough to stop her car. It's been fifteen minutes and she had found none. For a few seconds, she stops the vehicle to reach for her cell phone, opening the display of messages and looking for Tink's name. She should inform her, at this rate, she won't find a parking spot anytime soon._

 _As she raises her head to take a look around her a last time, a blue Audi vacating a space catches her eye. It's just a few meters from the hospital entrance, but even if it was any further she wouldn't complain. So she tosses the phone to the passenger seat, and speeds down the street before she can lose that spot too._

 _A breath of relief leaves her lungs. If she's quick enough, maybe she can still have that coffee._

 _Regina is about to put her car in reverse, when a white SUV occupies the space, making Regina see red as she opens the door and closes the distance between her and the contemptuous driver of the other vehicle, "You stole my spot!"_

 _The man turns to face her, two blue eyes staring at her in confusion, "I apologize, but I don't see your name written anywhere."_

 _He's got some nerve._

 _"_ _I was making signal!" Regina protests, her annoyance increasing when the man ignores her and reaches to open the door to the back seats. Realization hits her when he scoops in his arms a baby boy, looking pale and sweaty, his small chest rising and falling with rapid breathing._

 _She's about to apologize, to offer him help, when the man's voice interrupts her thoughts – he's clearly in a hurry, she realizes when he tells her, "If you don't mind I have to take him inside. Have a nice day."_

 _The sight of him practically running towards the hospital makes Regina feel like a fool, as she shakes her head in defeat, and returns to her car to continue her search for a place to park._

 _..._

 _During her lunch break, she spots the same man sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room, messing with his phone and with a complete look of defeat on his face._

 _"_ _Hey…" Regina approaches him carefully, not really anticipating how he might react to her presence, if he even remembers her, that is. She's just a woman who probably made his day a little bit worse, who thought for a few seconds that the worst thing in the world was not finding a place to park her car. She feels terrible, and she just really wants an opportunity to apologize._

 _To her surprise, the man offers her a small smile, not really greeting her back, but well, why would he?_

 _"_ _I… I'm sorry. I had no idea it was an emergency," Regina says, hoping her words will be enough to help his situation, "I'm Regina. I'm a doctor here, and if I can help somehow-"_

 _"_ _Nice to meet you," he answers her out of politeness, she's sure, but she can't blame him, she has no idea how it feels like to have to wait for any news about a child in a hospital waiting room. So she smiles, a genuine one, and lingers for a little longer, wondering if she should just leave or if her presence is soothing somehow. She decides that it can't hurt to try, and she would really like to make up for her behavior earlier._

 _"_ _Does he usually have these attacks?" Regina asks, smiling slightly when she sees the confused look on the man's face, "I'm a doctor, I can recognize an asthma attack when I see one."_

 _He's alone, there is not a mother to be seen, nor a friend, and she hopes this can help him to vent somehow._

 _"_ _He has," he tells her, nodding, "He has to receive oxygen, and I know he will be alright, but-"_

 _"_ _It's always nerve wrecking?" she asks, and he nods, and Regina takes the liberty to occupy the empty seat beside him, "I'm sorry you have to wait here, but maybe I can try to get some news for you."_

 _The man turns in his seat to face her, his head tilting to the side as if asking why she's doing this for him. It's not because she feels guilty for pestering him about the parking space earlier this morning (she feels, but that it's not the reason), it's because her job is to help people, and she feels he needs some reassurance right now._

 _"_ _That would be nice, thank you," he answers, but he still looks as if he wants to say something, and so Regina doesn't interrupt, gives him time to tell her whatever it's going on in his mind, "I'm sorry… for the spot. I wasn't thinking about anyone else besides Roland."_

 _"_ _It's understandable," the brunette assures, shaking her head, "I think we both were a bit riled up this morning."_

 _He laughs, and it's a beautiful laugh, one that makes a shiver run down Regina's spine._

 _What is she doing? He's attractive, yes, and there's something about the fact that he is a thoughtful father, but he's a patient, or… his son is, the point is that she can think about these things right now._

 _"_ _Robin Locksley," he offers his hand for her to shake, "And… Regina, I suppose you're on a break?"_

 _Well, she had been talking to him for a while, so it's not difficult to figure out that she has some time right now, but she feels a thrill to hear him asking those words, wondering where he will go with that. She takes his hand and grips, offers him a smile as she tells him, "I'm on my lunch break, actually."_

 _"_ _Oh, I wouldn't want to keep you from your lunch," Robin tells her, causing Regina to feel slightly disappointed at his words, "I don't believe you would like some company?"_

 _She looks from his eyes to their joined hands, to his blue eyes again, her lips tilting up as she nods her head, "That would be nice, actually."_

 **…**

"You don't… you don't remember me?"

Regina's voice is soft and gloomy, makes Robin stare at her with an apologetic look in his eyes. She had been expecting everything except this, foolishly believing Robin had awakened unscathed from this whole nightmare, despite Tink had specifically told her that she wanted to have a conversation with her about the consequences left by the accident. Of course, it could be nothing. As a doctor, Regina knew this was a possibility, she just didn't want to believe something like this could ever happen to their family. She never thought she would see the day Robin would look at her with the same look he has in eyes right now, like she is a stranger, like she means _nothing_ to him.

She shifts her gaze to their joined hands, pressing her lips together and failing at keeping her tears at bay.

"I'm really sorry about this, I-"

"Regina," she hears a familiar voice coming from behind her, but Regina doesn't have in herself to shift her gaze away from their joined hands – is the only bond she has with Robin right now, the only thing keeping them connected. She would never let go of his hand if that meant Robin would fall in love with her again, would remember everything they had gone through.

She tightens the grip on his hand and feels his thumb moving slightly over her skin - a comforting gesture, she thinks, but nonetheless, she is glad for it – until she feels a different pair of hands settle on her biceps, the same familiar voice drawing her attention to it, "Regina, can I have a word?" Tink asks, and she fights the urge to tell her to go away, to give her just a moment alone with the man that should become her husband in less than four months now.

Instead, she tells Robin she will be right back, releases her grip on his hand and follows her friend out of the room. They both wait until the white door is perfectly closed behind them before Tink's voice echoes through the silent hallway.

"Regina…"

"Don't…" she takes a step back when her friend tries to reach her, not needing to be comforted right now. She's a stranger to the man she loves, to the man who would become her husband. She is angry, not with him, not with Tink, just with life. She allows the tears to fall down her cheeks – there's no point in pretending she's fine, it's clear she's not. She wished she could go back, that she could tell him to leave their house a few minutes later, it would be probably enough to keep the accident from happening, "He doesn't remember me."

"I'm sorry…" the blonde doctor tells her, taking another step in Regina's direction, "I didn't want you to find out this way."

"Does he know?" About the memory loss. She has no idea what he remembers, how she should approach him. Should she tell him everything? As a doctor, Regina knows his memory should improve with time, but Robin has the right to know he has a family, people who care about him. He has a three-year-old boy that should return home the next day to be with his father, and Robin probably doesn't even know about his existence- that can't wait.

"He knows," her friend tells her, "He just has no concept of what he is exactly missing."

Regina sighs heavily at the thought, purses her lips, knows she will have to talk to Marian and reach an agreement on what will be the best for the little boy – maybe he should spend a few more days with his mother, give Regina the time to have a proper conversation with Robin (the last thing she needs is Roland feeling as she is feeling right now, having his own father looking at him as if he was a stranger), "I have to tell him about Roland."

"He knows he has a son," Tink smiles, explains how Roland's name was the first word to slip from Robin's lips the moment he woke up. It takes a load off Regina's mind, but she can't help but feel miserable to know Robin doesn't remember her, "He thought he was still a baby… I believe his memory is lost between the time he divorced Marian and the time he met you."

 _Isn't she lucky?_ Regina thinks, bitterly.

"What should I do?"

"You have to be patient," Tink tells her and Regina nods, but it's easier said than done, "Robin won't remember everything just because you will start bombing him with information. You should help him to remember, but you can't do that for him. Don't make him feel pressured, try to earn his trust. You're the best person to do this, Regina, he still loves you, he just doesn't know it yet."

Regina thinks for a moment, her eyes focused on her hands. She's not ready for this, what if she spoils everything?

"Should I tell him about us?" the brunette asks, apprehension in her voice.

"Yes, he needs to know. When he can be discharged, he will have to return to his house, and that's with you. Being in a familiar environment can help. Just give him space. Let him get used to it in his own way… It will be fine."

Tink is right. It will be fine, she can do this. They can create new memories. Robin doesn't know what made him realize he was in love with Regina in the first place, but until he gets his memories back, they should work to create new ones.

 **…**

Her heart beats faster inside her chest as Regina walks back in the direction of Robin's room. Tink had agreed to give her some time to have that conversation with Robin, had told her it should be the brunette to talk to him about it, about their relationship. She can't really anticipate what will be his reaction, if he will trust her enough to believe they were together, that they lived happily as a couple before this whole nightmare had happened. What if he doesn't even want to come home with her as soon as he can be discharged from the hospital?

Tink had told her it would be the best option, but she knows it can be awkward for him – returning home with a woman who claims to be his girlfriend. The mansion is his home now, and she and Roland are his family, but what if he would prefer to go back to his cabin in the woods? Where he used to live with his son before they met at the hospital.

Just the thought of it makes Regina stop in her tracks, has her pausing with her hand placed on the doorknob, her teeth peeking out to trap her bottom lip.

She really doesn't want that to happen. Doesn't really like the thought of Robin living alone in the middle of the forest, without anyone to help him if he suddenly needs it. She feels the nerves taking care of her mind for what appears to be the umpteenth time that day, but she tells herself she shouldn't jump to conclusions, to wait to see what Robin will want to do from now on.

She opens the door then, peeks inside, her voice is low and gentle when she asks him, "Can I come in?"

"Of course," he answers, placing the empty plate from his lunch on the tray beside the bed.

She enters the room and closes the door behind her, walks the few steps that separate her from her fiancé. She notices as his blue eyes follow her every movement, wandering from her high heel boots, to her red knee-length dress, only stopping when his gaze locks with hers. He clears his throat when he realizes she noticed he had been staring, but it only puts a smile on Regina's lips, to know she still causes the same effect on him.

"I'm sorry for… earlier, I didn't know about the-"

"Memory loss?" he finishes, and yes, _that_ , "So... I take we knew each other?" he asks, and Regina nods her head, fidgets with a loose thread on her coat.

"Yes, we knew each other, quite well actually." She's telling him the truth, does not intend to hide anything from him. She just wants her Robin back. So she shifts her gaze to him to see the look on his face, a curious one instead of the confused expression she was expecting to be welcome with. He always succeeds to surprise her, even now, even when he doesn't _know_ her. She offers him a smile that vanishes just as quickly as it appears, as she extends her hand with the engagement ring for him to hold "We were… together."

Robin gently grabs her hand and pulls her closer, tracing the ring on her finger with his thumb, her tension slowly vanishing with every caress from him. He has the same gentle touch from every other time he would cherish her, or comfort her, or even when he would hold her for no reason, just because he could and wanted to wrap her in his arms.

"I see," are the words that come from his mouth, as he releases his grip on her and presses his lips together, "Did I… did I make you happy?"

"Of course," Regina tells him without thinking twice, the confusion present in her expression, " _We_ were happy. You helped me a lot to overcome some difficult things about my past, and…" she trails off, because there's no point talking about her former problems right now, "You taught me to love again," she settles for that, sitting beside him on the edge of the hospital bed. She reaches inside her coat pocket for her phone, searching through the pictures for the one Roland had accidentally taken of them one day at the park, as they stood by the lake, Robin's arms wrapped around Regina's waist while his head rested on her shoulder, "This is one of my favorites."

"I'm sorry, I…" Robin eyes the picture for a moment, shaking his head, "For me, right now, it feels like my divorce is something recent. I doubt I would be able to make someone happy."

It feels like her hopes are crushed one by one as she hears Robin's words. He doesn't believe her. Or… he believes, but it's clear it will be difficult for him to feel the same again, at least for now. She feels heartbroken, it's not really his fault, but she really needs a moment to be alone. The tears are prickling the back of her eyes one more time, and she won't let them fall, not in front of him.

"Can you give me a moment?" he asks, catching her attention. He is trying to be nice, she notices, but every word he says cuts right through her, "My head is throbbing, the nurse said I should try to rest as much as I can."

He looks apologetic at her, knowing the effects his words are having. She just stands there, in silence, for a few moments, trying to compose herself, to be patient as Tink had told her. And then she nods her head and heads towards the door, turning to him one last time, "I hope you feel better, and if you need anything I will be downstairs, Tink will know where to find me."

 **…**

It's with a heavy heart that Regina closes the door to Robin's bedroom behind her. His words were harsh, not meant to hurt her, but she can't help but feel miserable about it. After a few minutes of trying to compose herself, of pushing away her tears, she let herself be vulnerable, collapsing in the nearest chair and allowing the tears to freely fall for a minute.

He doesn't believe in a future for them. Everything seems so impossible for him right now.

When she wipes her face, eyes red and wet, she takes the few steps that separate her from the elevator, already knowing Robin will need time to himself. He probably doesn't want to see her anymore today, would be glad if she just leaves him with his thoughts. But how can she just walk away as if it was nothing? How can she just leave him in the hospital all alone?

His family is in England, he doesn't have anyone else here besides her and Roland, and a few of his friends. But she's his family, his fiancée, the woman with whom he should want to be with. She shakes her head at the thought, because she's not any of those things right now. It's odd how their life changed so much in two days, how it took a very drastic turn. She's used to roam the corridors of this hospital day after day, but everything feels so different right now.

Regina finds herself stepping out of the elevator and walking towards the main lobby, her feet carrying her without she even realizes it. She's emotionally exhausted. Doesn't know what to do, where to go. She certainly doesn't want to return to the mansion all by herself, without Robin to keep her company. But she doesn't want to return to her mother's house either, that would be even worse.

 _'_ _I doubt I would be able to make someone happy.'_ His words echo in her head. Oh, if he just knew. They were so happy, the happiest Regina had ever felt in her entire life. And now with a baby on the way, Regina was sure that happiness would grow by leaps and bounds.

She places her hand absently on her stomach, sitting on a chair in the waiting room.

"Regina, my darling," she barely has time to react before she's wrapped in a strong embrace, a pair of delicate arms pulling her close in a hug.

"Amelia," Regina breathes, taking by surprise. The woman is followed by two familiar men, her own father and Robin's, "How did you get here, when… when did you arrive?" she lets go of Robin's mother to embrace his father, but before she knows, Amelia's hands are cupping her cheeks once again, her thumbs running gently over Regina's skin, aware that she's been crying.

Amelia Locksley has a touch of a mother. She always knows how to comfort Regina, had done it quite a few times since she is with Robin. And she had gotten pretty attached to the woman since the first time she met her, as well as Robin's father. He is not as caring as his wife, but equally affectionate. She couldn't ask for better parents-in-law, or better grandparents for the child currently growing in her belly.

"We arrived just this morning," his mother tells her, offering her a gentle smile that doesn't quite reaches her eyes. Without she even has to ask, Regina is certain she knows about what happened to her son, she didn't even call her to let her know about the accident, too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything," she says, but Robin's mother dismisses her words with a shake of her head, an understanding look on her face, "You could've told me you were coming, I would pick you up at the airport."

"Nonsense, darling, I'm sure you had other things to worry about," Amelia assures, and although that is true, she could spare half an hour of her time to pick up her parents-in-law at the airport. Regina was ready to protest, to assure that would even be a welcome distraction for herself, but Robin's mother beats her to it, asks in almost a whisper, "How is he?"

Oh God, she feels the tears in her eyes all over again, threatening to fall. She doesn't want to cry in front of Amelia, nor in front of her father. The last thing she wants right now is to be comforted.

"He's out of danger. Apart from the memory loss, I think… I think he's doing well," Regina says, trying to sound convincing.

"I'm so glad my son is doing well, but… what about you? It's clear you're not."

"I will get used to it."

It's another lie. How she's supposed to get used to her fiancé looking at her as if she's a stranger? She told him the whole truth, how they had a life together, and it mattered nothing to him. Even if it's not really his fault. So, yes, she will have to get used to it. She will help him the best she can so she can have the Robin she knows back.

"I know he still loves you, Regina."

She gives her mother-in-law the closest thing to a smile, "I don't blame him if he doesn't. I'm a stranger."

Amelia shakes her head without thinking twice. It's easy to say Robin is still in love with her, but how can he? He doesn't _know_ her. In a maternal gesture, the older woman moves her hands to grip Regina's, giving them a small squeeze, "We talked to Tink and she told us how to help him. He will remember you, darling, and until there, we will encourage him to welcome you in his life, making his daily life as normal as possible. He fell in love with you once, I don't believe it will be difficult to fall for you a second time."

Regina shifts her gaze to her father for a second, watching him nod discreetly. They are right. She's still the same Regina and he's still the same Robin. He fell in love with the person she is, he himself had told her those exact words. And his reaction today, before she told him the truth… she could tell he was drawn to her.

"You're right," she says, feeling like a weight was lifted from her shoulders, "I have to believe we will go back to be a family."

"Of course you will," her father whispers, winking discreetly at her as he wraps his arm around her waist. She instantly understands that he knows. About the baby. Call it father intuition, but Regina couldn't care less. It feels good to share this with someone else.

"So this means you will stay for a while?" Regina asks her parents-in-law, a genuine smile on her lips, "We would be more than happy to welcome you in our home."

"Are you sure about that, darling? We can just find ourselves a hotel-"

"Of course, I'm sure. Robin will probably feel better to have his parents around," Regina assures easily.

"In that case, we'd love to," Amelia tells her, her hand moving to find Roger's. They are a lovely couple, happily married for almost forty years, Robin had told her, and it makes Regina wish for the same lasting happiness with their son.

 **…**

Robin watches her go. It still feels strange, waking up to a life he doesn't know and finding himself engaged to a woman he never saw before. After seeing the picture on her phone, the one of the two of them relishing in the comfort of each other's embrace, Robin had needed a moment to gather his thoughts, and so Regina had left his room without much protest, closing the door behind her and leaving himself to try to rest as he had told her.

He never did.

Instead, Robin had reached for his own phone placed on the bedside table, and had spent the next half hour going through the pictures he kept in the gallery. Pictures of him and Regina, posing together, and then with the company of a little boy, who Robin knows is his son, but who is too grown-up to look real – at least, on Robin's timeline.

Unexpected tears started to prickle the back of his eyes, but he wouldn't cry over this. For what he had been told, Roland was alive and well, and Robin was confident he will eventually regain the memories he had lost. The memories of him and this woman, of his son growing up.

They looked happy, as Regina had told him. Looked like a family.

God, what will he do?

"Robin?" a familiar voice pushes him away from his thoughts, putting a smile on his face when he realizes who is actually paying him a visit this time.

"Mother?" he breathes, confused. He may have lost his memory, but he was pretty sure his parents were still living in England, "What are you doing here?" he wraps his arm around his mother's torso, when the blonde woman approaches him and encircles him in a hug.

He can't even express how happy he is to have them back, to have some familiar faces around him, restoring some normalcy to his life. He wraps his arm around his father's shoulders too, lingers for a moment – he doesn't even know when it was the last time he hugged his father, but right now, nothing could make him feel better.

"Oh, you know your mother, she wouldn't let me sleep, knowing what happened to you," Roger teases him, getting a smile out of Robin's lips. To his amusement, Amelia gives his father a pat on his shoulder, rolling her eyes as she takes a seat on the edge of Robin's bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asks, cupping his cheeks in her hands, "As far as possible."

"I'm alright." What can he say? He lost his memory, lost two years of his life, but he's alive, with only a broken arm and a few physical bruises. He can say he was lucky. Bringing his phone back to life, he is faced with a picture of Roland and Regina, sleeping soundly on the couch, his son's head placed on her chest while her arm keeps him snug against her side, "I was just… looking at some photos."

Looking for proof, he wants to say, but it would be unfair to Regina. It's not like he thinks she is lying to him - for some reason, he knows she is telling the truth - but it's strange, and abnormal, and maybe the photos will help him to remember something else about these two past years.

"They are adorable," his mother says, gesturing at the picture on the screen, "And quite smitten with each other."

"Yeah… Roland is too grown-up."

"He's three."

To his surprise, he is slightly taken aback by that information. He knows he is three, doing the math is not difficult to realize his son actual age, but hearing his mother say it makes everything more real.

"I wish I could remember every milestone."

"You will," his mother assures, urging his gaze away from the phone. It's easier said than done. She has no idea what it's like to hear people telling him about something and someone he doesn't know, telling him how he used to live his life, what did he do… With a shake of his head, Robin eyes the picture one more time, his blue eyes focusing on the brunette who claims to be his fiancée, "The doctor said it's just a matter of time, that your memory will improve eventually-"

"I don't even remember my fiancée!" he tells her, disappointed, "I look at my phone, and here is my son, sleeping in the arms of a woman I don't know."

Robin's gaze shifts between his mother and father, before he takes a deep breath and turns off his phone. They seem… stunned, by Robin's sudden outburst. He's mad, upset that something like this had to happen, and that he doesn't even remember seeing his son growing up. He should feel proud of the little man he created, of the son he has, but instead… he feels nothing. Just anger, and revolt, and an overwhelming need to change the past and avoid what happened to leave him in this state.

"I'm sorry," he mutters, allowing his mother to intertwine her fingers with his, "I'm upset."

"Of course, you are," Amelia tells him, her words soothing him somehow, "And you have every right to be, this is not easy."

He is so thankful to have his mother by his side, to make him feel better about the whole situation. It would be easier to avoid the world outside, to just live in the reality he knows, with his three-year-old son and his parents to help him. But there are more people involved in this whole nightmare, and it wouldn't be fair to just cut them out of his life as if they mean nothing. And so for now, he relishes in the comfort his mother provides, wraps his good arm around her waist and brings her closer to him.

"Will you stay for a while?" Robin asks, sounding like a little boy asking for candies.

His mother lets out a slight chuckle, tightening her grip on her son's body, "We can stay as long as you need, darling."

And that's a relief. Knowing he won't be left alone anytime soon.

* * *

 **Hello! Thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and follows. I hope you liked this chapter and tell me your thoughts! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

 **\- Monday –**

 **October 16, 2017**

For the first time in almost two years, Regina wakes up alone in her bedroom. There's not a warm body firmly pressed against her backside, nor the familiar scent of pine filling her nostrils, and not even the feeling of soft lips making its way over her sun-kissed skin. She misses Robin's company, misses waking up beside him and bury her face in the crook of his neck, shielding her vision from the bright light that usually comes from the window.

There was always a good morning kiss, some kind of reminder that they were still much in love with each other as the first day, but today… today she has none of that. On every other morning, she would wake up to Robin's warm breath tickling the back of her neck, or to the annoying sound of his alarm when he would forget to turn it off the night before. On the best of days, Roland would sneak its way into their bed, would snuggle against Regina's side, his little body trapped between his father's and her own… but today, she wakes up to a morning without none of her boys, without her favorite dimpled party. She doesn't really know how to feel or what to do, even more after Robin's reaction the day before.

He had practically sent her away. She should've never broken the news like that, not the moment he had just met her 'for the first time'. God, he must think she is taking advantage of the whole situation. She should have waited for the right moment. Maybe then he would have believed her without hesitation.

The sound of her phone vibrating on the bedside table it's what pushes her away from her own hurtful thoughts. She stretches her arm out of the bed to grab it, sighing heavily when she's faced with a text from no other but her ex-boyfriend Daniel Colter. This is definitely not a pleasant way to wake up. She had left him standing in the coffee shop the day before, when she and her father had driven all the way towards the hospital to see Robin - she was hoping she would be able to ignore him, or at least, that he would understand the message. Clearly not.

 _Regina, your mother took the liberty of giving me your number. I just want to apologize for yesterday. It was a bad time. Hope I can see you and talk to you soon._

 _Love, Daniel._

Regina sighs, placing the phone back on the bedside table and standing up from the bed to wrap her silk robe around her body.

She _will not_ think about Daniel right now, he is the least of her problems.

She is thankful when a knock on the door followed by a ' _Good morning_ ,' gives her something else to focus her attention on. She's truly glad she's not completely alone in her own house, grateful she has her parents-in-law to keep her mind occupied. She still feels guilty for not having called them the moment she knew about the accident - or at least, to assure them their grandson had escaped unscathed from the whole nightmare - but they seem unbothered, happy to be able to be there for their son.

"Good morning, Amelia," Regina walks towards the old woman to place a kiss on her cheek, before moving towards the vanity and tying her hair back in a ponytail, "Did you and Roger have a good night of sleep?"

Amelia nods her head, asking the same question in return, out of politeness, Regina is sure.

It's obvious she didn't. She kept waking up in the middle of the night, hopeful Robin would be there, lying beside her. She knew, of course, he wasn't, but every time she opened her eyes to find his side of the bed completely empty, it would send a wave of pain through Regina's whole body. It was just… torture. She had gotten up from the bed around four in the morning to put some of his clothes inside a bag, decided to take his things to the hospital the next day, and since then, she hadn't really been able to sleep properly.

"I slept alright," Regina lies, grateful Robin's mother doesn't seem to bother to contest - there's really no point in exploring this any further, is it? "What would you and Roger like for breakfast?"

"Oh, no, darling, that's already taken care of," Amelia assures, giggling at the confused look on the brunette's face. She doesn't want her parents-in-law to feel like they need to compensate her for allowing them to stay at her house, if anything, she should be the one thanking them for their company and support during this time of her life. Wrapping her arm around Regina's waist, Amelia pulls her closer, sitting beside the brunette at the edge of the bed, "Roger left for his morning walk, so I asked him to bring us some food," she explains, "And meanwhile, I thought I would pack some of Robin's clothes to take to the hospital."

Her tone is one of question, clearly asking for Regina's permission, she notices.

"I already took care of that," Regina tells her, pointing to the bag placed on the chair in one of the corners of the room, "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, darling. Do you think we could use the time to talk?"

Regina freezes. She was hoping to have a peaceful morning before the emotions would come crashing in by the time she arrived at the hospital… Apparently not. Even though she feels the need to unload on someone, to get everything off her chest, she didn't plan to do it on Monday morning, when she is still in her pajamas and silently dreading what today's visit has in store for her.

"Marian called," Amelia says to her surprise, not really what Regina was expecting that conversation to be about, "She wanted to talk about Roland, decide where he should stay for the next few days." That's almost obvious for Regina, which makes the brunette frown slightly at those words. Marian is his mother, and if Robin is not present to take care of the boy, Regina doesn't have any right in the matter, even if she didn't mind taking care of Roland herself, "I told her I would need to talk to you first."

A thankful smile crosses Regina's lips, but she shakes her head, her eyes moving to where Amelia's hands hold her own, "I really appreciate your consideration, but… I don't think my opinion matters. Marian is his mother, she probably knows what's best for him."

"I don't think like that, Regina," Amelia tells her, giving her hands a slight squeeze, "Your opinion _does_ matter, you care about my grandchild as if he was your own son, you love him as a mother, you're always here to help him, so yes, you should have a say in this."

She still doesn't believe she has that right, but there's no point in trying to tell Robin's mother otherwise. Besides, now that Robin is awake, perhaps she can discuss this with him before calling back Marian, "Alright," she gives in, "I will talk to Robin about it."

"You do that," the older woman pats Regina's hand. They remain in silence for what appears to be an eternity, with Regina without really knowing what to say, but Amelia's voice echoes through the room, saving her from the trouble of coming up with a response when she asks, "May I ask you something?"

Regina nods her head, but doesn't make a sound to interrupt her mother-in-law, "Forgive my son for whatever he told you yesterday-"

"Amelia…" their eyes lock when she shifts her gaze towards the older woman, "You really don't need to-"

"He found a wonderful partner in you, I would hate to see him lose that. He just needs time to get used to the reality. He's upset at the situation, not with you," she explains, cupping Regina's face in her hands. Her touch is cautious, gentle, with just the right amount of strength to get her attention. She always thought of Amelia as a second mother, and she knows what she's telling her it's the truth. Robin is not mad at her, but does not cease to be painful.

"I would never fault him or punish him for what's happening," Regina assures, before taking a steady deep breath, "And I'm not upset with him."

For the first time in the last few days, Regina feels she's not being completely honest. It's not like she's upset with Robin, no, she isn't, but she was upset when he asked her for a moment, or when she had to leave the hospital without really knowing what he's feeling, how she should deal with it when she goes to visit him today.

"I just miss him, that's all," Regina murmurs, shaking her head to free herself from Amelia's grasp. She feels a tear sliding down her cheek just in time she stands up from the bed, but she doesn't want to cry, no, she's tired of doing it.

"He hasn't gone anywhere, darling. He's the same Robin. And I assure you, he still loves you-"

"Dear, I brought the breakfast," there's a knock on the door, followed by Robin's father's voice – Regina is actually grateful for the distraction, not really wanting to have a second round about whether or not Robin still loves her. She's sure they had already discussed this the day before at the hospital, and she knows everyone wants to make her believe they are soulmates, that he will suddenly recover his memory and they will live happily ever after… but this is real life, and right now, the reality is that Robin doesn't know her, let alone being in love with her, "I'm sorry, I heard your voices. Just wanted to let you know I will wait in the kitchen."

"Alright, Roger, go on."

Regina lets out a genuine chuckle – there's nothing better to lighten the mood than her parents-in-law bickering with each other. She wipes the wetness of her cheeks, takes a deep breath, but when she's about to open the door to follow Robin's father, she's stopped by Amelia one more time, her hand placed on Regina's bicep, "Just remember, darling, you don't have to deal with this on your own. You're not alone."

 **…**

 _She's not alone._

She thinks about Amelia's words as the three of them make their way through the hospital corridors, in the direction of what Regina knows to be Robin's new assigned room. He had been transferred to the rehabilitation ward, where he will be monitored until he can be discharged from the hospital. At least he is out of danger, Tink had told her, and for that, Regina was more than grateful. She had not talked to him since the day before, when he had asked her to give him space, and she could say she was nervous - she was not upset, no, she was anxious. She had no idea how he might react, if he will ask her to leave him alone with his parents once again today. She had insisted for Amelia and Roger to go first, to talk to him and try to understand if Robin was willing to see her, but Robin's mother had refused, insisting she had no need to wait outside when she was sure her son would not dismiss Regina's visit… She hopes she was right, she never felt so insecure about something in her life.

And so they are here now, _together_.

Even though she is nervous, and worried, Regina will do her best to keep that from her fiancé, to be the rock he needs at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, she steps out of the elevator, stopping for a minute to collect her thoughts. According to Ashley, his bedroom is the first door on the right, which doesn't exactly give her much time to dwell on her fears. She should be thankful – and she is – she's just not ready to face whatever will come next.

His blue eyes are the first thing that draws her attention the moment she steps into the room behind his mother - the interest in his deep stare, how it looks like he's apologizing for what he told her the day before… God, she misses his presence back home. He's still dressed in one of the white hospital gowns, sitting on the bed with a blanket covering his legs. She's glad she had remembered to bring him his clothes at last, glad she will be able to help him somehow, even if it's just because she brought him a pair of sweatpants.

He hugs his parents first, but soon his gaze is shifting towards the brunette. She offers him a small smile, placing the bag at his feet on the bed, "We brought you some clothes."

"Thank you," Robin says, giving her the same shy smile. This couldn't be more awkward, trying to keep a mask for her fiancé who, a few days before, had been the only person with whom she would be able to open up comfortably.

She shakes her head as if dismissing his words, takes a step closer to him. He looks good, better, considering he had a very serious car accident only three days ago.

"I hope you didn't bring too much junk," she almost dies of fright when she hears her friend's voice echoing through the big room – she didn't even notice Tink scribbling something on a piece of paper, and staring at one of the screens a few feet away from Robin's bed, "I hope I can send this one home sometime tomorrow, what do you think?" she shifts her gaze between the brunette and her fiancé, waiting for any reaction from them. However, both seem too stunned to respond.

"Well, Robin, your vitals are normal, you had a broken arm, but that's something that's already taken care of, you will just need some physical therapy, and the sooner you get out of here, the faster your memory should improve," Tink explains. Well, that's wonderful news. Regina is sure Robin is anxious to leave this place, knowing him, she doubts he would be able to spend more time between four walls when he likes so much to be outdoors. She had discovered that one morning when he almost dragged her out of the bed, insisting she would go for a run with him to enjoy the first sun rays of the summer. She had learned Robin is a morning person. She is not, "Of course, I'm comfortable sending you home because I know you will have a brilliant doctor looking after you."

"Oh, that's excellent, darling, I didn't know it could be so fast."

Regina would be sharing the same enthusiasm of Robin's mother, if she wasn't so nervous about the conversation she knew would follow it. They didn't exactly discuss with him where he would be staying, believing he would have to spend more time in the hospital. She was confident she would be able to earn his trust before they would agree he should return home, but she didn't have the time, and now she was sure he wouldn't feel comfortable with that option.

Clearing her throat, Regina addresses her friend more than anyone in the room, "We still have to talk about that," she says almost in a whisper.

"Well, I will give you some space, call me if you need anything."

There's an immediate silence the moment the door closes behind the small woman, and it bothers Regina more than it should. She doesn't even know how to talk with her fiancé anymore, she's completely lost.

"So… we need to talk about where I will be staying," it's Robin who breaks the silence.

"Yes. I really don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but Tink said you should return to your normal routine, to a familiar environment that should help you recover your memory."

She watches as Robin considers her words, before his gaze shifts to meet his mother's. It breaks her heart a little. It means he doesn't fully trust her and although she tries to see his side, she can't prevent herself from feeling hurt. What can she do to earn his trust once again? How can she prove that they were happy, that they had a perfect life together?

"I see…" he mutters, nodding his head, "But you do understand that it's awkward, that I would live with someone I don't know-"

"We are staying in Regina's house as well," Roger interrupts his son's words, to everyone's surprise, "Regina thought it would make you feel more comfortable, she's just trying to help you, son. You've got yourself a good lass."

Regina offers the old man a genuine smile, as Robin's mother places her hand on the small of the brunette's back. She's grateful for them, she really is, couldn't have asked for better parents-in-law. Robin is eyeing them with a conflicted look on his face, his blue eyes shifting between the three of them, without really knowing what to say or do.

He takes a deep breath at last, focuses his attention on his mother and asks, "You'll be staying there too?"

"We are," she nods her head in confirmation, running her hand up and down Regina's back, "Everything is going to be alright."

Anticipation takes care of Regina as she waits for his decision. Robin has the final word, nobody can force him to return home, even if they know it would be the best for him.

Regina has to focus to keep the tears at bay. It's just too much for her to handle right now, too much pressure, and she needs to think about the baby as well. This kind of stress can't do it any good. Perhaps if she gave him until the next day, he would consider it differently, would take the time to think about it more carefully.

However, before she could even think about giving him that option, his voice echoes in her ears, the exact words she wanted to hear since she started thinking about this whole situation, "Alright, I can give it a chance," he stands up from the bed to reach for his bag with the clothes, stopping in front of Regina, "I'll go and get changed. Perhaps I could take you for a walk outside?"

 **…**

It's about fifteen minutes later when Robin emerges from the bedroom, fully dressed in his grey sweatpants, his blue t-shirt bringing out the color of his eyes. She can't stop thinking about how lucky she is… was, to have him as her partner, to be fortunate enough to be loved by the handsome, sexy, thoughtful man he is. She shouldn't even feel as perky and cheerful about Robin's invitation as she feels, he probably just wants to discuss with her the details of their new arrangement, make sure they get everything out in the open before he returns home the next day. It's wise, and safer, maybe a way to avoid any misunderstanding that can arise within the next couple of days. She really wants him to feel content in his own home, wants him to feel comfortable with _her._

She offers him a genuine smile when she sees him approaching her, stands up from her seat, smoothing the wrinkles on her black pants. To block out the chilly air of October, she wraps her wool coat around her body, her tongue peeking out to wet her lips.

"Ready to go?"

"I am," she places the strap of her purse securely on her shoulder, follows him silently through the hospital corridors.

He seems to know where he's heading, she knows this hospital like the back of her hand and so she recognizes the path towards the garden in the back. She uses to spend a lot of time there with Tink, when both of them manage to have a break between the commotion of their job. She always grabs a coffee and heads outside for a bit of fresh air, blocking out every sound and remaining in her peaceful bubble for a few (usually short) minutes, "There's a small pond in the back, it's a nice spot to have some quiet."

Robin opens the door for her and follows her outside, looking around the empty garden. There are only a few people enjoying what's left of the sun, but judging by the fierce wind and the dark clouds gathering above their heads, Regina is not sure the morning will make it without raining.

She guides him through a stone path, leading to a small nook. There are not many people who know about this spot, and that's what makes it more peaceful. She hopes the conversation with Robin won't change the peace this place provides her with, and instead, she wants to believe it will work to cause the same reaction to her fiancé.

"So, you work here?" Robin asks, shoving his hand into the pocket of his sweatpants.

"I do, at the E.R. I love it, but it's pretty exhaustive."

"And this is where you go when you want some quiet," he says, not really asking, and smiling when Regina nods her head. He was always able to read her like an open book and she's happy to confirm that didn't change because of the memory loss, "I can see why, this is beautiful. You can hear the birds chirping, the water running, you even have some ducks to keep you company," Robin lets out a small chuckle, gesturing towards the animals floating on the water.

They end up sitting on one of the benches facing the pond, his blue eyes seem even more beautiful in this light, and Regina finds herself staring at him, while he contemplates thoughtful the view.

"Roland used to like to feed the ducks at the park," there's a hint of melancholy in his tone, more than sadness, and she wishes for the hundredth time that she could make all this pain go away. She hates to see him suffering, hates to feel like she can't do anything to help him.

He shifts his gaze in her direction when she doesn't answer him, suddenly offering her a smile instead of the frown he had on his face just a few seconds ago.

"He still does. Of course now he insists he doesn't need our help anymore."

The mention of Roland giving them a hard time causes Robin to let out an amused chuckle, and that's good, better than the sadness she could hear in his voice just a few moments ago.

"I know you took care of him after the accident," Robin tells her, taking her by surprise, "And for that, I want to thank you."

 _You really don't need to,_ she wants to say, but she just shakes her head instead of speaking the actual words. She really didn't do that out of obligation, she took care of Roland because she loves that boy as if he is her own, and she wishes Robin would remember how they were a united family. Just thinking about it brings tears to Regina's eyes - the pregnancy is leaving her a mess, but she really needs to be strong now, for all of them.

"There's actually something I want to talk to you about," she remembers the conversation she had with Robin's mother this morning.

"What is it?"

"Marian called… she wants to know where Roland should stay these next few days," it definitely feels wrong to be the one talking to Robin about this issue – until she figures things between them, she has no right to make decisions about Roland, or even work as intermediary between Robin and his ex-wife - she's just someone trying to regain its place in Robin's life, trying to help him to get back to his routine. On second thought, until Robin falls in love with her again, she's nothing. She's just Regina.

Her gaze falls to the ring on her finger, the promise Robin made that he would walk her down the aisle. They were so close… she can't even describe the pain she has been feeling these last few days. There's a slight chance Robin might not fall in love with her again. And then what? What would she do?

"Doesn't she has the custody?" his voice interrupts her thoughts, and right… he doesn't remember…

"You have shared custody," Regina explains, "She agreed to share the custody when Roland turned two."

"Oh, that's… new."

Her hands itch to touch him, to offer him some comfort – it can't be easy to lose two years of your life - but she never does it. She never reaches for him. Instead, she tries to give him the space he needs, "This week was yours, so…"

"I would love to see him. God, he's three now, but… I don't want to subject him to this. Visiting his father in a hospital."

Truthfully, she has the same opinion. There's no need to bring the boy to the hospital when Robin is so close to returning home. And then they can be together, play together, returning the laughter to their house. She thinks about them in Roland's room, building forts, stealing every pillow and blanket they can find around the place. She misses those moments. She would watch them by the door, without making a sound, content to just witness them having fun together.

"I think he's better off with Marian right now."

"Of course, I understand." She can't help but feel a pang of disappointment at his decision – to be fair, she would have done the same thing – but it doesn't work to make her feel better about the whole situation. It's like she's losing Robin and Roland little by little, and the fact he chooses (obviously) Marian over her to take care of his son it's just another punch in the gut.

She shifts her gaze away from him and towards the pond in front of them, desperate to look unbothered by the whole conversation, but Robin knows her better, and he didn't even need to know her for two years to realize she's hurt.

"I'm sorry," he starts.

"No. No, don't apologize, I-"

"I feel terrible, but… I agreed to try. To return to… _our_ home. I'll need more time to deal with everything. Knowing Roland is with his mother is… the closest thing to the life I remember," he's changed his position now, his knee is touching her thigh as he sits sideways, his good arm stretched over the back of the bench, "This doesn't mean I don't believe you would help me take care of him, but I need to get used to this new reality first. Does it make sense?"

"Yes, of course," she nods her head, "I think it's the wiser thing to do."

"Good. So I was hoping you could answer some questions," he's looking at her with those big, blue eyes that always manage to get what he wants out of her - of course, she would never deny him any help. And so Regina nods her head, purses her lips as she waits for him to start, "So, do I have any job? Something I will need to return to soon."

Regina reaches for her phone inside her purse, searching in the gallery for a picture she knows will answer his question. It's a photograph of Robin standing behind a balcony, a glass in his hand, and a big banner hanging from the ceiling where you can read 'grand opening'.

"On one of our first dates, you told me about this dream of owning a bar."

He nods his head, "Marian never agreed because she didn't want me working overnight. Especially after Roland was born."

"But I told you to pursue that dream. And about a year ago, you opened _Sherwood_."

Robin eyes the picture with a smile on his lips, a ray of pride flashing through his eyes. He's so proud of his accomplishment. That bar is the result of his hard work, of sleepless nights for both he and Regina. She has to admit she's never completely relaxed knowing her fiancé is working through the night, but they make it work, and Robin always tries to combine his overnight shifts with her own at the hospital.

"Thank you for helping me with this," he runs his thumb over the screen of her phone, displaying a picture of him and Regina, in the same bar, his arms encircling her waist from behind as they lean against the wooden counter.

Regina clears her throat at the sight of it, turns off the device before placing it back inside her purse, "So, do you have any more questions?"

"How long have we been together? How did we meet?" he asks, taking her by surprise as she recalls their encounter at the parking lot. She was so mad at him, right before she saw a baby Roland being scooped up in his father's arms.

"You stole my spot," she accuses, with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry?"

"Almost two years ago. I was about to park my car when you stole the spot. I didn't know you were in a hurry to get to the hospital, Roland was having one of his asthma attacks," and so she had looked completely selfish and crazy, to Robin's absolute amusement.

"That's definitely not what I was expecting."

"When I went to apologize, you… invited me to lunch."

"Oh…" he is suddenly out of words, his gaze moving away from hers. She can imagine how awkward and confused it is to be hearing these stories, but he has the right to know, and she does not intend to hide anything from him. He remains so quiet for a moment she gets worried it may be too soon to be sharing these moments of their relationship, but soon he regains his composure, shifting the conversation to a more safe topic, "Does he still have the attacks? Roland."

"Sometimes," she answers, reaching for her purse. She removes from it's inside a blue inhaler, handing it to Robin when he reaches for it - his skin is warm when their fingers touch, and she lingers for a moment, suddenly forgetting what she was about to say.

"Do you always carry this with you?" it's Robin who breaks the silence, pulling back from her.

"Of course, Roland may need it," she finally notices the expression on his face, a look of admiration for her consideration and concern for his son's well-being. She may not be his mother, but he is her son, no matter what.

Robin gives her a nod of his head as he returns the device, watching as she puts it back inside her bag. The clouds in the sky are thicker and darker than when they first came outside - they should return, she thinks, even if for no other reason than to put an end to this deafening silence.

"Maybe we should get inside, it looks like it's going to rain."

Robin follows her as they walk back towards his room, where his parents are still waiting for them. They are sitting on the couch on one of the corners of the room, talking about something Regina can't quite listen from where she stands by the door.

Robin offers them a genuine smile, his hand stopping on Regina's lower back before he turns to face her, "Thank you. And don't worry, I will call Marian and talk to her about Roland... I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

She will be there first thing in the morning to pick him up. It might take a while to have him back, but this is definitely a start.

 **…**

Later that day, Regina finds herself in her bedroom, getting ready for her dinner with her father. Robin's parents had insisted they would stay at the hospital to spend more time with him, which Regina knows was just an excuse to give her some alone time with Henry. She's looking forward to it, she really is, she can count on one hand the number of times they had been able to spend time together, whether just relaxing at home or spending some time outdoors, Cora would always find a way to cut their time together short. She had always something to say, something that would probably ruin both Regina's and her father's day.

She rolls her eyes at the thought, thinking about what happened the day before. Regina was furious to find out Cora had invited Daniel for their brunch, and since then, she hadn't heard another word from her mother. Probably for the best, the brunette thinks, glancing at the phone on the bedside table.

She still has to answer him, or… maybe she could just ignore Daniel's text. It's been hours, he probably realized she doesn't want to talk to him already. With a sigh, she puts her sweater over her head and heads towards the kitchen. On her way home from the hospital, she had stopped by one of her favorite restaurants, Granny's dinner, to pick up some food for them, so now all she has left to do is set the table – it's not much of a help, considering all she needed right now was something to keep her mind busy and away from too much thinking.

Brooding about her life is everything she seems to have done for the past few days. Thinking about Robin and the accident, about Roland and his mother, about the baby currently growing inside her belly… it's just too much. She misses having something to keep her mind busy, misses work. She's grateful she had been given a few days to deal with the situation, but she needs something to keep herself entertained. She can't even stand to be at home. The house is empty without them, without Roland's laugh or Robin breathing down her neck the second they have a moment alone.

Regina leans against the counter, recalling the moments they spent in that kitchen. She remembers Roland helping her cook his favorite pancakes, and Robin pressing her against that same counter hours later when his son was long put to bed. Perhaps when he returns home the next day, everything will be different… better. She remembers the day Robin and Roland moved there, the frenzy of unpacking everything, the feeling of waking up together the next morning. It had been one of the happiest days of her life.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost misses the sound of the doorbell echoing through the house. Almost. Her father is standing on the other side of the door when she moves to greet him, a warm smile on his face, "Daddy."

"My baby girl," Henry opens his arms to greet her, wrapping her body in a comforting hug. Of course, her mother didn't bother to show up, "How are you feeling?"

She relishes in the feeling of being surrounded by his warmth, sighing happily when he gives her body a gentle squeeze. She's so grateful for her father, considering right now he's the only family she has.

"I'm fine," she takes a step back, offering him the closest thing to a smile. She was never one to lie to her father, they are pretty close, and so he's one of the few persons she is always willing to open up to. Except that today… Henry already knows what's bothering her, and there's really no point in discussing it any further. He is here to spend some time with her, to help her forget about everything for a bit, or at least, for the amount of time she is allowed to ignore the real life, "I hope you are hungry," she places his jacket on the hanger, before leading him back to the kitchen, "I certainly am."

"So is it true?" Henry's voice echoes behind her, drawing her attention. Well, she was already expecting this. She was certain her father knows about her condition by now, and judging by the way his eyes shift to her toned belly, she can tell she was not wrong about her assumption, "Are you-"

"I'm not hungry just because I'm pregnant you know," she teases.

This was certainly not the way she was thinking about breaking the news to her father, but apparently, she is not giving him any news. A wide smile forms on Henry's lips as he pulls Regina for another hug, wrapping his arms around her torso and pressing a lingering kiss to his daughter's temple.

"I'm so happy for you," one of her hands clings almost desperately to her father's shirt, while the other moves to wipe a few tears off her lashes, "Don't cry, sweetheart, everything will be alright."

Perhaps she shouldn't get her hopes up. She knows he is talking about Robin, and he's trying to make her feel better, but she really doesn't want to get ahead of herself, "Robin doesn't know… I mean, he didn't know before the accident, it's early."

"Maybe you should schedule an appointment with your doctor."

She takes a step back to look in his eyes, shakes her head. She's four weeks pregnant, nobody will schedule her an appointment so soon. Maybe in a month. She's lucky enough she doesn't seem to have any problem, she feels good, aside from everything happening around her, "It's still too soon, daddy, they will ask me to wait."

"Regina, you've been under a lot of stress lately, that's not good for a baby."

"The baby is fine." The real reason she doesn't want to do this, is because she doesn't want to do it without Robin. She can't. He is the father, he has the right to witness every moment of this pregnancy.

Nevertheless, that doesn't seem enough to convince her father. She should have known he would not give up, this is his first (biological) grandchild, she is certain she will not be able to make him change his mind.

With a defeated sigh, she occupies a seat at the table, noticing her father doesn't make a move to follow her, "At least, promise me you will talk to somebody."

"I promise." That seems to do the trick. Has Henry occupying the seat in front of her as she unpacks the food, placing the two soups and a chicken salad on the table, "How did you know?"

"I'm your father," Regina's eyebrow rises, clearly telling him she's not buying that excuse. He knows her like the back of his hand, but that's not enough for him to figure out she is pregnant… Or is it? "Johanna made your favorite coffee yesterday. You didn't even touch it. You would've drunk at least two cups if you didn't have a reason to avoid it."

Oh, that's… true.

"How are you so perceptive?" Her father's laugh echoes through the room, as he just shrugs in response, "I'm sure mother will be thrilled."

A wave of apprehension starts to grow in Regina's stomach. She will not tell her anything for at least another two months, but she can imagine what will be her reaction - if the way she flipped out when she told her about her engagement to Robin is any indication. She is not looking forward to telling her. For different reasons. Cora in unpredictable, and Regina is sure she will not take lightly the news.

"She will come around, this baby is her grandchild."

Maybe if he says it many times that will become a reality, but knowing her mother as she knows, Regina is sure it would take more than a baby to warm her mother's cold heart.

"I doubt it, daddy, she doesn't believe Robin is good enough for me, she will never accept this baby."

"I don't think you need to be worrying about your mother when there are more important things to deal with right now. You told me my grandchild is hungry, we should probably focus on the dinner."

Regina cannot help but smile, reaching for the container with the soup in front of her. Her father is right. If she thinks about the fact that Robin is returning home the next day, then she has to agree with him - Cora is the last thing that should be on her mind right now.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry for taking so long, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter and let me know if you did :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, I'm sorry, it's been so long since I updated this story (and Crossed Paths, but I swear I didn't give up on that one, I just have tons of ideas for this one that I have to write), but here is a monster chapter to make it up for the wait. I really hope you like it!**

* * *

Chapter 4.

 **\- Tuesday –**

 **October 17, 2017**

The house is silent. There's not a soul to be seen as Regina tiptoes her way towards the kitchen. She hadn't slept much, however, she doesn't feel tired, no, she is anxious. Today is the day she had been expecting since Robin arrived at the hospital on Friday, the day she will finally take her fiancé home with her. Thoughts of how it will feel to have him back fill her mind as Regina sips her hot tea. It's early, but she didn't bear to remain in bed for any longer. She couldn't go back to sleep, and the silence was just making her restless. She thought about whether or not Robin will recognize the house, or if he will regret making this decision. She really hopes not, all she really wants if for him to feel comfortable and welcome, to feel that sense of home again. He used to tell her the house didn't matter, as long as he would have her and Roland by his side, but Regina can't help but worry whether those words still hold true today.

They were supposed to be a family, but once again, she finds everything being ripped away from her. First, it was her mother, who had made her life's goal to control every little bit of Regina's freedom. Then it was Daniel, with whom she saw a future before he had cheated on her. And now Robin… Everything was taken away from her – her freedom, her faith in love, her second chance at happiness. A carefree life is just not in the cards for her.

Sighing to herself, Regina reaches for the cell phone placed on the marble counter behind her, to find two missed calls and one text from her friend popping on the screen. With everything happening, she didn't really give Emma the time she deserves since their lunch on Saturday afternoon, and she can't help but feel guilty about that. Emma is one of her closest friends, and although Regina knows she's just worried about her, she always hated to feel she needs to be coddled, her independence is one of the things she most treasures about herself.

However, this is not about her independence. Emma had tried to reach her for a few days now, and it seemed something would always get in the way when Regina thought about calling her back. Nothing is stopping her right now, Regina thinks, deciding to dial her friend's number and bringing the phone to her ear.

"It's about damn time I get you on the phone," her friend's voice echoes on the other side after three long beeps, relief and anger mixed in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Emma, I… had been pretty busy."

"Too busy to leave a text to assure me you were alive? I was worried sick about you. If it wasn't for your father to let me know you were alright, I would think something bad had happened to you," Regina's lips tilt up at her friend's overreaction, as a warm, comforting feeling settles in the brunette's chest, "Henry has been asking about you."

"He has?" the smile disappears from Regina's lips as quickly as it formed because, one thing is allowing her friend to worry about her, one completely different is to find out her godson has been just as concerned about her as his mother. She can't afford that to happen. He is just a child, should spend his time playing with his friends, or worry about the heroes in his comic books.

Regina sighs remorsefully at that new information, sips what remains of the tea before standing up from her seat and placing the mug in the sink, "Tell him not to worry, I'm alright. I promise I will take him to lunch as soon as I can."

"What about today?" Regina shifts uncomfortably in her spot, knowing, once again, she will have to disappoint two of the most important people in her life, "I have some free time, I can arrange something for the three of us."

"I can't today… Robin will be discharged from the hospital, I have to pick him up."

Although it is for a good cause, Regina can't help but feel bad about delaying the time with her friends. Why can't she live a normal and happy life for once? Why does she have to choose between her fiancé and her best friend? She wished she could be present to soothe some of her godson's worries. She promises herself once everything settles down, she will make time for them, will take Henry to lunch, maybe allow him to indulge in more ice cream than Emma would find proper. Because that's what godmothers do. They provide their godchild a good time, and they definitely do not allow a ten-year-old to worry about them.

She hears Emma clear her throat on the other side of the line, genuine concern in her voice when she tells her, "Your father told me what happened… Any improvement in his memory?"

"No," Regina's voice wavers a little, not enough for Emma to notice, Regina thinks, but enough to make herself feel vulnerable, "But he agreed to return home… hopefully, it will help with that."

"I hope so."

Regina wished she could guarantee that Robin being back to his normal routine would improve his memory, but she can't. She doesn't even know for sure if he will regain the time he lost, considering the number of cases she witnessed that happening as a doctor. It's a tough situation, one everyone around him will have to learn how to deal with, in order to help him get through it.

"Emma, what will I do if he doesn't get his memory back?"

It's a possibility. And she needs to be prepared.

"Just… what you've been doing," Regina takes a deep breath, an attempt to untangle the knot on her throat at her friend's answer, "Help him through his new reality, earn his trust, help him realize what made him fall in love with you."

Regina thinks back at the last few days, trying to figure out the role she has been playing in Robin's life. She had told him the truth about their relationship, had given him time to collect his thoughts, had returned the next day with a smile on her face, ready to answer to all the questions he might have. She hadn't hidden a thing from him (except the fact she has his baby growing inside her belly), hasn't given up when he pushed her away, and she certainly didn't plan to do it anytime soon. So yes, she will continue doing what she has been doing, will show him exactly what made him realize he was in love with her.

"Thank you, Emma, and… I'm sorry if I gave you any reasons to worry."

"Don't worry about that. Go get Robin and promise me you will call to let me know how things are going."

She lets out a relieved breath to know her friend is not upset. She really needs her support right now, and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing she had disappointed her best friend.

"I will. And I will let you know when we can schedule that lunch."

"Good. Henry and I will be waiting by the phone."

 **…**

It takes another hour for Regina and Robin's parents to arrive at the hospital. Between taking a shower and cooking breakfast for her parents-in-law, Regina could barely stand the wait anymore. She just wants to take him home, and so she is glad when she finally steps into the main lobby of the hospital.

It's funny how a place can change if you look at it from another perspective.

Every working day, all she focuses her attention to is in the cries of the patients, in the pleas of their families as they beg her to save their life. But today… today she doesn't hear the whimpers and groans anymore. She hears the breaths of relief and sees the smile on the lips of who is there to pick up a relative. Because today is a good day, and nothing will be able to change her mood.

As she walks to the front desk to greet Ashley, a familiar face catches her eye. Freshly dyed blond hair, bright blue eyes, and an unnerving smirk that puts anyone on edge - Regina doesn't really like him, but even she has to admit he's the best at his job. Whale is one of the obstetricians at the hospital, and she immediately remembers she did promise her father that she would talk to someone about her pregnancy. She has to admit her father's got a point, the amount of stress she has been under recently can't be good for her child, and if she doesn't do this now, she knows she won't anytime soon.

This is her baby she's talking about. She can never be too careful.

With an apologetic smile on her lips, Regina stops in her tracks and focus her attention on Robin's parents, noticing the concerned look on Amelia's face at her sudden stop, "I have some things to take care of… can I meet you in Robin's room?"

She is glad when they don't question any further. Instead, the old woman nods her head, assuring Regina that's alright.

So that's how she finds herself leaving the lift to the maternity ward. She is faced with a young woman staring at her from behind the reception desk, a warm smile adorning her lips, as Regina studies the room around her. The space is neat and clean, bright, with a few photos of babies decorating the walls. It's a welcoming environment, and Regina finds herself relaxing a little when she realizes the woman at the reception doesn't recognize her. Thank God for small blessings.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hi… I want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Whale?" Regina tells her, looking around to make sure there's no one around that possibly knows her. Apart from a few very pregnant women sitting on the couch, there's no one else to be seen.

"Alright, is this your first appointment?" the young woman asks, handing Regina a form when she nods her head, "You will need to fill this."

Despite her hesitation to do this by herself, Regina feels a wave of excitement as she writes down every information regarding her pregnancy. She's going to have her own child, and of course, she can't wait to tell Robin and share this with him, but right now, being here, makes everything more real.

She loves this baby already. She can't wait to see if her child will have her eyes or Robin's, if he or she will have his dimples, or if will have her dark curly hair. There's a part of her that wishes for a baby girl, a little princess to spoil rotten, who would have Robin wrapped around her little finger. But at the same time, she would be equally delighted to have a baby boy, to give Roland a younger brother, who she is sure would have the charm of the Locksley boys. One thing she's sure, she will love this baby no matter what.

"First child?" the woman's voice interrupts her thoughts, bringing Regina back to reality.

"Kind of. My fiancé has a boy."

She watches as the woman writes her information on the computer, no doubt registering her in the system. She's nice, has the ability to make her feel at ease, something Regina is thankful for, considering she was worried to be seen in this hospital ward. She doesn't want anyone else finding about this before she has the chance to tell Robin. She is glad she can share this with her father, but he will be the only person to know about the pregnancy before the child's father, she has to make sure of that.

"Alright, how does Friday sound for the appointment?"

"This Friday?" Regina asks, astonished – she would think it would take more time, "Yes, it's perfect."

"See you on Friday, then."

Regina nods her head, offers her a smile, before walking back towards the elevator. Friday. She didn't think she would feel so anxious about this first appointment. It's not like she will see the baby – it's not even a baby yet - however, does not cease to be something important. She needs to talk about her concerns, to make sure her child is alright. She's just disappointed she can't share it with Robin, but she knows they will get there, and maybe the first time she sees their baby, he will be there to see it too.

With that in mind, Regina walks towards Robin's room, a smile on her face the whole way. Her smile widens when she's faced with bright blue eyes, as her own gaze takes in Robin's figure. He looks good. His hair is combed like she used to see him, his beard trimmed, and he's wearing the jeans Regina had brought him the day before. He's clearly ready to leave the hospital. His injured arm is still in a sling, but he carries his bag with the other.

"I'm sorry for keep you waiting."

"No need to apologize," Robin assures, easily, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, before taking a step towards the brunette, "My mother told me you had matters to attend to."

"Yes… do you want me to carry that?-"

"Well, no one is getting out of here without talking to me first," the door opens to let in Regina's friend, her smile bright and genuine as her eyes shift between the four people in the room, "I have a few recommendations. No working until I say otherwise, and no physical effort. And I mean, _all_ types of physical effort-"

"Tink!"

Regina's cheeks turn red at her friend's double meaning, even more when she's talking about it in front of Robin's parents. Yes, they are adults, and yes, his parents are well aware that their son has a sex life, but talking about it in front of them is something Regina would very much like to avoid.

"For now, try to rest as much as you can," she addresses Robin this time, scribbling something on a piece of paper that she hands to Regina when she finishes, "This is his medical prescriptions, and you should schedule an appointment with a physiotherapist for his arm."

"We will, thank you," she pulls the blonde closer into a hug, as a thank you notion for everything she had done for him. Regina is not sure she would have been able to take care of Robin as Tink did, whether or not she is a doctor herself. When she turns to her fiancé, is with a smile on her lips, "Are you ready to go? I'm sure you're anxious to leave this place."

"Lead the way, milady."

Her heart stops beating for a moment upon hearing the way Robin addresses her. _Milady_. He used to call her that at the beginning of their relationship, before he started to call her _love_ , or _beautiful_. She misses it. Misses each word. She was never able to choose a favorite. Each term would make her feel butterflies in her stomach, and she would always smile when he addressed her like that. This is a good sign, she supposes. Or maybe he's just being the charmer he is and this means nothing.

"C'mon," she decides to put it aside for now, offering him a smile and hoping this is the beginning of a new chapter.

 **…**

The drive to their house is gratefully a short one. Robin's mother keeps the conversation flowing, talking about their life in London and how Roger is dealing with his recent retirement. Robin's father was never a man to stay indoors – like father, like son, Regina muses – so the fifteen minutes spent inside Regina's black Mercedes are filled with small talk, something she's actually thankful for. The last thing she needs is an uncomfortable silence, considering she's not doing much to keep that from happening.

She can't stop thinking about their life from now on. If Robin will even regain his memory, if they will go back to the way they were. Where is he even going to sleep? In their bed with her? In the guest room? She should move to the guest room, she thinks, it's the nice thing to do, to give him some space while he gets used to their life as a couple.

"Do we live _here_?"

Regina's attention shifts towards the white mansion in front of them, and she nods her head in response, "We do. We figured it would be closer to the city and would have more space for us than the cabin in the woods." For when they decided their family should grow, she wants to say, but she stops herself. With only two bedrooms, Robin's cabin would eventually become cramped if they decided to have a child of her own, and so they had agreed to live in the mansion, keeping the cabin for when they want to escape the city for a few days.

She watches as he gets out of the car and studies the building, his jaw half-opened while his eyes shift between the house and the yard that surrounds it. She knows it's not his style (to be fair, it's more her mother's), but he had eventually learned to love it, and she hopes that somehow it will happen again.

She allows him to get used to everything before she walks him and his parents through the front yard – green bushes frame the path, until they reach the front porch. The astonishment and bewilderment in Robin's expression would be amusing, if it wasn't for the hesitation Regina is feeling right now. What if he doesn't fit here… what if he doesn't fit here with her?

"How many rooms does this place have?" Robin asks, almost to himself. She closes the door behind them before placing the keys in the bowl beside it, her eyes shifting to her parents-in-law for a moment.

"Well… upstairs we have the master suite, Roland's bedroom, and two guest rooms. And down here is the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, and the office," Regina answers with a smile, clearly aware of Robin's reluctance. She didn't think it would bother him so much to be back in their house, but it's obvious he feels out of his comfort zone, "I thought I would sleep in the second guest room, so you can have the suit to yourself-"

"Absolutely not," Robin shakes his head, immediately.

It feels weird, talking about this with him. The house has plenty of space for both of them, but it feels wrong to be even considering sleeping in a different room from Robin, "I really don't mind."

"Well, I do. I wouldn't want you to leave your room so I can sleep there instead. I will take the guest bedroom."

She sighs, mutters, "It's not _my_ room. It's ours."

"It was yours first. I'll be fine in the other room," Robin insists, a determined look on his face. She nods her head, then, in defeat. Robin is as stubborn as her, but given the current situation, she doesn't want to make it even more uncomfortable for him. So she relents, offers him a genuine smile as she gestures for him to follow her.

"I'll show you the room and move some of your things there."

"Thank you," Robin tells her, "Would you mind if I take a shower?"

"Of course not," she points towards a closed door at the end of the hall, showing him where the bathroom is before she retreats to fetch him a towel. _It will be fine, everything is going to fall in place soon,_ she repeats the words in her mind, preparing herself for what's yet to come.

 **…**

Showering is a challenge, but not so challenging as to try to button his shirt for himself.

Robin is in the guest bedroom, getting dressed before returning downstairs to have lunch with his family. _Family_ , he repeats the word in his head, a family that includes a fiancée he doesn't know. Last time he checked, he had just gotten divorced. Had just got out of a relationship with his son's mother, how is he… engaged? Has he really moved on so quickly? Is Regina so special that he finds himself engaged to her in less than two years? She's nice, yes, and beautiful, _gorgeous_ , he would say, but… he's sure he was not ready for this. He was never a man to jump from one relationship to another as if it was nothing. Things just don't make sense.

He thinks about the ring adorning her finger, about the pictures she had shown him on her phone, and he doesn't understand. It took years of a relationship with Marian for him to propose, how did he ask Regina to marry him after a few months, a year at most, of dating her? He wonders how they built this life together, when did they decide to move into this mansion. It's a nice place, spacious, but… it's just not what Robin imagined for his house. He always thought he would live away from the city, in his little cabin with his son, just he and Roland, no more women for a while.

Clearly, he changed his mind at some point.

To his relief, a knock on the door pushes him away from his own thoughts, and he is even gladder when he finds his mother standing in the doorway, instead of the brunette, who seems to refuse to leave his mind.

"Hi… I came to see if you needed any help."

"Come in," Robin tells her, waiting until Amelia closes the door behind her, "I could use some help with the buttons."

He sighs as his mother buttons up his shirt, moves his gaze to scan the room. The place is carefully decorated, with a bookshelf in one corner, and some (he's sure) expensive paintings filling the walls. Regina's taste is definitely different from his, and she's definitely different from Marian, but, well, his relationship with Marian didn't work, and he always heard that opposites attract, right?

"Are you alright?" his mother breaks the silence, stepping back when she finishes her task.

What can he say? He's confused, he doesn't know how his life got here, and he can't even button up his own shirt. He feels a burden for everyone, feels bad for forcing his parents to leave their life in the UK to take care of him.

"I'm fine," he assures, "Where's Regina?"

"She just left to get your medicine, told me she would bring something for lunch as well."

She's not home, good. The last thing he wants is Regina overhearing his conversation with his mother. He needs to talk to her about this situation, hear from someone else's mouth what happened over the last two years of his life. He always confided in his mother, he must have talked to her about Regina, "Can I ask you something?"

"Everything," his mother's answer puts a smile on his lips, as he grabs her hand and sits beside her on the edge of the bed.

"When did I… when did I decide to ask Regina to marry me?" his eyes shift to their joined hands, suddenly feeling bad for asking such question. It's not like he doesn't believe Regina, but he just needs to know.

"Oh, well, after six months of dating, you-"

"Six months?" it's not even enough time to know, _really_ know, a person. What was he thinking?

"You couldn't wait to ask her. Of course, you didn't marry right away, knowing Regina, you were sure she would need some time to plan everything. She's… adorably perfectionist."

"I don't understand, I… it took me years to ask Marian, I wouldn't jump into another marriage so suddenly."

Amelia offers him a comforting smile, holding his hand in both of hers. Why does it seem he is the only one to think this is madness? He had just got out of a relationship, he should know better than to go and marry a woman after just a few months of dating. The Robin he remembers would wait and try to get to know her first, if just for the fact that he needed to make sure she was good enough to be part of Roland's life.

"You were twenty when you started dating Marian, of course, it took you years to ask her the question, but with Regina… you were older, you knew you loved her, why waste more time?"

Because… that's who he is. He believes in true love, and relationships for life, and nothing his mother is telling him right now seems right. He doesn't regret it – how can he? He doesn't even remember it – but now that he has a second chance, he will make sure to think things through, he won't rush everything again.

Robin frees his hand from Amelia's grasp to bring it to her cheek, offering her a smile as he runs his thumb through her wrinkly skin, "Did you ever think I would live in a mansion like this?"

"No," Amelia chuckles, shaking her head, "But I also thought Marian was more your type, and I have never seen you happier than when you were with Regina."

Robin's smile drops at those words, giving rise to a frown. His mother's got a point. Marian was his type of woman when he was twenty: carefree, adventurous, always ready to join him in his craziest ideas - he remembers that one time when they ran away to camp in the middle of nowhere, with just their sleeping bags on their backs, no tent, in the dead of winter. They had spent the whole night staring at the stars, unable to sleep because of the cold, but he couldn't think of a better place to be in that moment – and then he grew up, and camping underneath degrees below zero with a pregnant woman didn't seem so appealing anymore. They ended up drifting apart, and after months of fighting, the divorce seemed the better option.

"Regina is really different from Marian, isn't she?"

"She is," her mother nods her head, "But that doesn't mean she's better or worse than her, maybe she's just what you needed."

A wave of sympathy settles over Robin. Regina had told him how they met, how she helped him with Roland. He was a single father at the time, trying to do his best to raise his son, and she happened to be in the right place, at the right time. Yes, maybe she was just what he needed back then, but was that enough to try a relationship with her? To cross the line between friends and lovers?

"We could have just remained friends."

His mother's laugh is what makes him doubt his own words. He brings his hand back to his lap, suddenly taken aback by Amelia's reaction.

"Oh, darling, you couldn't," the old woman assures, her tone carrying a certainty that could go unnoticed between all the giggles, "You called me to let me know about Roland, and somehow, the conversation ended with you telling me about this beautiful lass, who had helped you with your son and with whom you couldn't wait to share dinner the next evening."

"Dinner?"

Her mother smirks, shrugging her shoulders, "I was surprised too, but you were happy, what was I supposed to do?"

His mother is right, he supposes, by the looks of it, he did seem happy. And smitten. Regina is an interesting woman, he can't deny that. He can't lie and say it has no effect on him when she stares at him with those deep brown eyes, or when she smiles and brings out the scar on her upper lip. He finds it sexy. It's part of her, and he's glad she doesn't try to hide it.

"So you think… you think I should give her a chance?"

"I think you should try to get to know her, yes."

Well, he can do that, he supposes. Perhaps if he really gives this a chance, he will be surprised, after all, he did propose to her after six months.

 **\- Wednesday –**

 **October 18, 2017**

Regina finds him in the kitchen the next morning, though the sight which she's welcome with, it's not the one she was used to waking up to before the accident. Instead of a shirtless man, trying to surprise her with a simple (but nonetheless delicious) homemade breakfast, she finds Robin standing in front of the sink, his back to her, and his forearm stretched in front of him so the cool water can hit his skin.

He's dressed in his pajamas, in a white t-shirt that fits every muscle of his body, and in his favorite grey sweatpants that look so casual in him. Even though she knows he doesn't feel completely comfortable in this huge mansion, she's happy to see he's starting to make himself at home, judging by the sight of all the kitchen utensils scattered all over the countertop.

Biting her lip, Regina walks the few steps that separate herself from her fiancée, stopping when she hears the consecutive swearing that comes from his mouth.

"Robin, what are you doing?"

The blue-eyed man turns at the sound of Regina's voice, his lips parted as if he wants to give her an answer, but he never does. His words die in his throat as his eyes roam over her bare legs, up to her cleavage, and finally stopping when they lock their eyes. She should've put on her robe, she thinks, never had she felt so exposed in front of him.

"I'm sorry, I should've-"

"No, no, I…" she crosses her arms in front of her chest, self-conscious, until her attention shifts to the skin of his forearm, "I just got burned. It appears it's more difficult to cook with one arm than I thought it would be."

"Burned?" she reaches to run her fingers cautiously through his injury, her brow furrowing when she raises her head to look into his eyes, "You didn't have to."

His burn doesn't seem so bad, his skin is red and will probably form blisters, but she can do something about it. For some reason, a smile pulls up Regina's lips – Robin was always this clumsy in the kitchen, though he always tried to surprise her with these homemade meals.

"I'm sorry I am such a burden," his eyes focus on the skin of his arm, his words causing Regina's smile to disappear immediately, "I don't want you to feel like you need to take care of me."

"Robin, no. I know I don't _have_ to take care of you, but I want to, I…" _love you_ , she wants to say, but God, she can't even say that to her own fiancé. It's too soon in the morning to be having this conversation. Ten minutes ago, she was getting out of bed, thinking today would be better, and now she's here, talking about this with Robin, and she knows this is not the way she wants to start the day.

"May I?" Regina asks, pressing a clean cloth to his skin when he nods his head, "We'll just put some cream and you'll be fine."

"As you say, doctor," his tone has a bit of mischief in it, and it works to ease the tension a little, "So, when are you going back to work?"

They are back to the small talk, but it's definitely better than the one they were having a minute ago. Robin seems willing to drop the previous issue, and Regina is not keen to pursue it either. How could he believe he is a burden when all she wants is to help him to regain his memory so they can continue to live their life as a couple? She would make the decision of bringing him home over and over again, because she likes to have him around, even if she has to deal with accidents like this. Answering his question, she tells him she will go over her shifts with Tink on Friday morning, before excusing herself to the bathroom to grab the cream for his arm.

She spots Amelia walking down the stairs as soon as she steps out of the kitchen, greeting her with a ' _good morning_ ' and letting her know Robin is already awake before walking past her mother-in-law and towards her own bedroom (she had made a mental note to pick up her robe before returning downstairs to have breakfast with her family), and so she wraps the silk material tight around her body, stopping in the bathroom to grab the cream before returning downstairs.

"I would offer you tea, but I see you already did the honors," she smiles when she sees Amelia and Robin sipping their drinks, and a single mug waiting for her in front of an empty seat.

"I know my way around a kitchen," Amelia says, and Regina knows that, she really does, because Amelia's cooking is the best she had ever tasted yet.

"I'm happy you feel at home."

She helps Robin applying the cream before occupying the seat across from mother and son, a comfortable silence settling around them as they drink their tea. She relishes in the domestic scene for a moment, wondering how she got so lucky to have them as their family, before the hoarse voice of Robin's father echoes through the room, greeting them with a cheerful ' _good morning_.'

"Good morning," Regina smiles when Roger leans down to press a kiss to Amelia's lips, changing an amused look with Robin before his father occupies the seat beside the brunette, "So now that we are all here, I have something I would like to discuss with Regina and Robin."

Regina freezes, can't help it, she knows coming from Amelia it can't be something bad, but she has to admit she hesitates for a second, because all she really wanted right now was a peaceful breakfast with the people she loves so much. She wonders if this is about their stay here in the mansion. She knows they agreed to stay for a while, but they have their life in Europe and as much as Regina feels comfortable to have them around, she knows one day she will have to deal with Robin's situation on her own.

Putting on a smile, Regina brings the mug to her lips, letting the warmth of the tea and the comforting feeling it causes in her belly to soothe her enough for this conversation.

"I was thinking that, if you feel up to it, we could have Roland for dinner tonight? I would love to see my grandson and I will do all the work, of course."

Regina smiles, genuinely now, "Of course, if Robin agrees." The blue-eyed man nods his head, assuring he would love to be with his son - Regina can see a hint of edginess in his eyes, but she knows he will love to see Roland again, "But, Amelia, I will not let you cook the dinner all by yourself."

"I could use a helper," the old woman agrees, "And I would be grateful if you could stop by the store to fetch me some ingredients."

Regina doesn't have to answer for Amelia to know she will gladly do that for her, and instead, she just offers Robin's mother a smile, before taking a quick sip of her drink, "What are you making?"

"Roast chicken. I can make some fries for Roland and roasted potatoes for us."

"Christ, you know how your mother gets when she starts talking about food. Do you want to join me on my morning walk and leave the cooking for the lasses?" Robin's father taps him on his shoulder, winking in Amelia's direction before leaving the kitchen to change clothes.

Robin is quick to drink what's left of his tea, steals a piece of fruit from the bowl and walks towards Regina, "You sure you don't want me to help you with the groceries?"

"I'm fine, you should spend time with your father," she offers him a thankful smile, watches him walk out of the kitchen, leaving her alone with his mother.

This is not how Regina imagined this day would go, but so far, she's not bothered either.

 **…**

She always loved the smell of homemade food. It brings back memories of her childhood when Regina would sit at the kitchen table, watching Johanna cook their dinner and wondering if one day she would be as talented as their maid was. She knows she is not. She is a good cook, has her specialties, but there are some recipes she had never been able to master. Her lasagna, though, that is just to die for. Robin and Roland would always ask her to cook that for them, and they were charming enough that she would never deny them that request. And then there is her apple pie, which she learned to bake from her maid and is just as delicious - as a child, Regina never saw her mother cooking, so every recipe she knows, she learned from Johanna or all by herself.

And so she can't help but smile as she watches Robin's mother working her magic. Scattering the several ingredients over the roasting tin and placing the chicken on top before basting it with the butter. It looks delicious, she has to admit, and she wonders what would have been like to grow up helping her own mother cooking something like this.

"I can give you the recipe if you want."

"I'm sorry, what?" Regina silences her thoughts to find Robin's mother smirking in her direction. She wipes her hands in her apron, before leaning against the counter to face the brunette.

"You seemed so focused. I can write down the recipe for you."

"Oh… that would be great, thank you." Amelia tilts her head as if studying Regina, and it suddenly makes her feel uncomfortably vulnerable. She doesn't want to talk about her dysfunctional relationship with her mother, not when tonight is all about family. She just wants to spend a good time with her parents-in-law and her fiancé's son, make them feel at home and escape reality for a bit, "Do you want me to start peeling the potatoes? To bake in the oven with the chicken-"

"Regina," Amelia interrupts, "Is everything alright?"

A peaceful evening… is that too much to ask for?

Thankfully, she is saved from giving her an answer by the sound of the doorbell echoing through the house. She excuses herself to answer the door, putting a smile on her face to welcome who she knows to be her stepson. Without surprise, Roland is waiting on the other side of the door, clutching his stuffed monkey with one arm, his free hand securely wrapped around his mother's. He looks adorable with a wool beanie covering his dark curls, his hands are shielded from the cold by a pair of grey gloves, and his little body is wrapped in a mustard-colored jacket.

"R'gina!" he lets go of his mother to wrap his arms around the brunette's waist, and she immediately forgets the dark thoughts occupying her mind just a few seconds ago.

"Hello, baby, are you excited to have dinner with your papa?"

As if on cue, the blue-eyed man steps out of the living room and into the foyer, his eyes widening when he catches a glimpse of Roland. He's… surprised to say the least. He knows Roland is now three, but seeing it right there, in front of his eyes, causes a few tears to prickle the back of his deep blue orbs. Regina, for her part, remains quiet, gives him the time he needs, until his lips tilt up in a smile and he crouches down to receive his son in his arms.

"My baby boy, you've grown so much, let me look at you! And your hair," Roland laughs when Robin takes off the beanie covering his head and runs his hand through his curls, pushing back a strand out of his eyes and pulling him closer in a hug, "How did you grow so much?"

"I'm this big!" the little boy opens his arms, a proud smile on his face, "And Monkey is big too!"

"Well, you don't want to forget him," Marian says from where she stands on the porch, holding the stuffed animal Roland had thrown into her arms before greeting Regina. The monkey had been given to him about a year ago when they decided to take Roland to his first fair - Robin had teased Regina she wouldn't be able to win a prize in one of the games, and so she had shut him up with a 'kiss for luck' as she had put it, and winning the stuffed monkey for his son. It was not the first prize, she could give him that, but the little boy had been enamored with it since that moment, carrying it everywhere he goes.

"I can't sleep without him," Roland tells his father, oblivious to how that information changes Robin's mood. Regina can't imagine how hard it must be to realize he doesn't know these simple things about his own son - what is his favorite food, or his favorite cartoon, or in this case, the toy Roland sleeps with every night.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Robin stands up to grab the toy from Marian, handing it to their son.

"Now, Roland, be a good boy, and mama will be here tomorrow to pick you up, alright?"

"Alright," the boy nods his head, pressing a kiss to his mother's cheek before returning to his father's side. With a last wave, Regina closes the door behind Marian and watches how Robin stares at Roland for a few seconds, no doubt still trying to get used to the fact that his baby is now three years old.

"Let's get you out of that coat, shall we?" Regina crouches down in front of the little boy to help him get rid of the jacket and gloves, stretching a hand towards Robin in a silent request for the boy's beanie. She places everything on the hook beside the door, grabbing Roland's little hand and winking in his direction, "I think your papa has a surprise for you in the kitchen."

"A surprise?" his eyes widen in excitement, and Robin can't help but chuckle at the little boy's antics.

"Yes, a surprise. Someone is very eager to see you."

It's adorable how Robin has that natural talent for being a father. He lost two years of his son's life, and somehow, the surprise doesn't keep him from interacting with the boy as if nothing had happened. She lets him let go of her hand to hold his father's instead, follows as he leads the little boy towards the kitchen, where a beaming Amelia is waiting for them in front of the stove.

"Nana!" Roland runs towards the old woman to envelop her in a hug, his little arms wrap around her waist, before Amelia scoops him up in her arms to sit him on the counter.

"Oh, my little Roland, you're not so little anymore."

Roland giggles at his grandmother's words, and Regina occupies a seat at the table to watch the scene unfold in front of her. She relishes for a moment, smiles when Roger enters the room and is welcomed with the same effusive reaction from his grandson. She can't even express in words the amount of love she feels for all of them, how grateful she is to have them in her life, and how unwilling she is to let that escape. It's strange how she feels a little left out while they share this moment as a family, but she tries not to be bothered about it, tries to give them the space they wish.

It doesn't take long, though, for Roland to get tired of running around and climb into her lap, she's a little taken aback by his gesture, but the action makes her heart swell and she's quick to pull him closer to her.

"Gina, I'm hungry," he leans his head against her shoulder, and she's pretty aware of Robin's gaze on them from where he sits beside them.

"The dinner is almost ready, sweetheart, and I promise you will love what your grandmother chose for us," she runs her hand over Roland's back, as Robin's lips tilt up in a smile. She blushes, can't help it, she always feels this warm feeling inside her belly, when she knows he approves of her interactions with his son. It's been almost two years, yes, but for Robin is the first time he sees her mothering Roland, and it's important for her that he feels comfortable about it.

Without none of them being expecting, Roland launches forward towards Robin, touching his injured arm and causing a hiss of pain to escape the blue-eyed man.

"What's that, papa?" the little boy asks, oblivious to what had just happened.

"Oh… this is just a little owie," Robin answers, offering him a smile. Nevertheless, Roland's eyes are glued to the cast covering Robin's arm, his gaze a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, "Do you want to draw something so it looks prettier?"

"Can I?" the excitement in his brown eyes makes Robin chuckle, as the blue-eyed man stands from his seat, his eyes shifting towards Regina, silently asking her where they keep the markers.

"In the top drawer in the office."

"I'll be right back," he nods his head and leaves the kitchen, and Regina watches him go, finally feeling complete in the last few days.

 **…**

She is comfortable. There is something pressed against her side, but it's keeping her warm and she doesn't think she is willing to move for the next few hours. She actually doesn't remember falling asleep at all, but it brings her comfort to know that, at least, she is not sleeping in her bed alone, as has been the case in the last few days. She can hear someone whispering deep in her mind, and the sound of footsteps as someone climbs the stairs is actually comforting. And so she cuddles further into the warmth against her side, sighing contently at the feel of someone's hand running up her bicep.

She blinks her eyes open as she slowly wakes up from her slumber, flinching when the bright light of the television reaches her eyes. She is in the living room, on her couch, and the weight against her side is Roland's body as the boy sleeps soundly beside her. She suddenly remembers every detail about their evening. The delicious dinner Robin's mother cooked for them, the interaction between Robin and his son, and how everyone settled on the couch to watch Roland's new favorite movie. She probably fell asleep through 'The Jungle Book', and, apparently, she was not the only one.

Looking at the sleeping little boy beside her, Regina smiles at the sight of Roland clutching his stuffed monkey against his body, his lips parted as his chest rises and fall with his heavy breathing. He looks adorable, and she can't stop herself from running her hand through his dark curls, unaware of the deep blue eyes studying her movements.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I'll just put him to bed," Robin's voice catches her attention, and she's suddenly aware of his hand on her arm, which shouldn't cause her breath to get caught in her throat, but it does.

"No, no, it's alright. I can carry him upstairs if you want to."

His gaze shifts to his injured arm, sighing in annoyance, but he knows he can't lift heavy weights, and so he doesn't fight her on this. He nods his head at her offer, moving away from the couch to give Regina space to move, "Thank you."

"I'm quite happy to do it," she assures as she scoops the boy in her arms, walking upstairs towards the boy's room. It doesn't escape her Robin's parents are nowhere to be seen, probably already tucked in bed for the night, and so it's just her and Robin, and his sleeping son on Regina's shoulder.

She lays him on his own bed when they reach Roland's bedroom, covering him with the blankets and placing a kiss on his forehead before giving Robin time to tuck in his son. She watches them from the door, not really wanting to spoil their moment, but she can't just take her eyes off the way Robin runs his hand through the boy's curls, no doubt taking in every change in him.

"I can't believe he is three, he was a toddler just the other day. How did I miss everything?" he asks, but Regina knows he's not _really_ asking.

Still, "You didn't miss anything. The memories are there-"

"I probably won't have another opportunity to watch my child growing up," Robin muses, catching Regina's attention. Oh, if only he knew.

"Why do you say that?" she wants to tell him, and she's so thrown by their conversation that she places her hands on his shoulders, not really caring if she's crossing any line or not. But there is one thing she is quite aware. She can't tell Robin about this baby, not right now. She's sure it wouldn't help his situation, if anything, it would probably make it more difficult for everyone, "I mean, Roland is still a child, and I'm sure your memory will improve with time, we just have to be patient."

"I hope you are right."

She sighs inaudibly when Robin doesn't even look at her, his eyes are glued to his son, and so she removes her hands from his shoulders, clearing her throat in an attempt to put an end to the awkward silence, "If you don't need anything else, maybe I should-"

"Regina, wait," she stops in her tracks at the sound of his voice, turns to look at him, and this time, he's looking at her too, "Maybe this is not the best time to have this conversation, but… I thought about it and… I want to give it a chance…" he tells her, and Regina frowns. Give it a chance? "I want to take you out on a date."

Oh, that's… unexpected.

She considers his words for a few seconds, not really knowing what to say, and she doesn't even know why. This is what she wanted, a second chance with him, an opportunity to make him fall in love with her again. So why does she feel he's doing this for her sake and not for him too.

"You want to take me on a date?" she asks, just to be sure. He has been friendly to her, kind, but never once he gave her any signs of wanting to take their relationship to the next level.

"This whole situation is unfair to you too, and you have been nothing but patient with me, so I guess the least I can do is to try to get to know you," Right… so he just feels sorry for her. Robin must have read her thoughts because before she could give him an answer, he's telling her, "God, I realized how this must have sounded, but I assure you, I really want to give this a chance. I want to get to know Regina Mills."

Her eyes roll to the back of her head at his words, but a smile appears on her lips nonetheless. Robin had just asked her out on a date, and she is as excited as she was the first time. She can't even try to deny it.

"Alright, Robin Locksley," Regina teases, feeling like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders when she sees him smile back, "But I want to make sure you're not doing this for my sake. I'm fine, I can wait. I don't want to rush this to lose everything later."

Robin takes a step in her direction and brings a hand to his heart, assures, "I promise that won't happen. And is quite easy to understand what made me fall in love with you," Regina's breath gets caught in her throat at his words. Robin must have noticed because he's quick to explain, "I mean, you're an attractive woman, kind, you put other people's needs before your own, and I can tell Roland loves you. You told me we met through him, and I can assure you your soft spot for children is already one of the things I like more about you… I would like to find out the rest."

Regina blushes at his compliments, feels so lucky to have found a man like him, who wants to fight for what they had before the whole accident. God, he's giving her a hard time to try to think rationally. Is this really a good idea? It hasn't even been a week…

"When?" Regina asks after a moment, and well, she wouldn't really be able to deny him, would she?

"You told me you need to meet Tink on Friday morning, so not tomorrow, but maybe on Friday? I could take you out to dinner?"

"I would like that," she nods, offering him a smile.

And so he tells her it's settled, and Regina leaves Roland's bedroom with a smile on her lips, and the certainty she will sleep soundly that night.

* * *

 **Reviews are always welcome! And I promise I will try to update this soon :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello :) This is just a small chapter because I realized it's been too long since I updated this story (I'm sorry about that), so to everyone who is still interested, I hope you like this one, and thank you for being patient.**

* * *

Chapter 5.

 **\- Thursday -**

 **October 19, 2017**

"He's going to take you out on a date?" Emma asks from her seat across Regina, watching from the corner of her eye her ten-year-old son chatting animatedly with Ruby at the counter, "That's actually cute."

The brunette rolls her eyes, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs. She had promised Emma she would have lunch with her and Henry sometime this week, and after Robin's invitation last night, she knew it would be a good opportunity to share the news with her best friend. Of course, she knew Emma would tease her about it, because, that's who she is, witty and funny, sometimes a little immature, if you ask Regina, but a good friend nonetheless. She is like the sister Regina never had. A younger sister, with who she feels comfortable to talk about everything, even if in the end she knows she will end up being mocked about it.

"Robin thought it would be a good way to get to know me, and I-"

"You know I'm only messing with you," Emma chuckles at Regina's expression, taking a bite of her own grilled cheese, "So, when is this date?"

"Tomorrow night," Regina answers, placing her fork down on the plate, suddenly feeling sick of all the food. She is nervous - and excited, of course - but especially nervous. She can't help but wonder if this date will really make much of a difference, if it will help to bring _her_ Robin back. They've already had their love story, their opportunity of a life together, what if this happened for a reason and they are just not meant to be?

"God, you almost seem bothered about it."

Regina shifts her gaze towards the blonde, her stomach twisting with nerves. She's not 'bothered' about it, only nervous, only worried that she will lose the most important person in her life. The first time she met Robin, she never imagined it was possible to feel like this, this... attached. And now, at the possibility of really losing him, she can't help but feel a bit apprehensive, afraid she will ruin everything.

"I'm just..." Regina sighs, suddenly finding really interesting the small flaw in Granny's tablecloth, "I'm just worried he will realize he doesn't like me anymore-"

"Regina," Emma scoffs, like if what she is saying it's the silliest thing in the entire world, "It's just a date. What you have is so much more important. You will just let him get to know you again, help him remember what made him fall in love with you... it's going to be fine."

"You can't promise that," Regina insists, "You don't know it."

Emma rolls her eyes, and takes another bite of her meal, falling silent for a moment - she should be forbidden to think about their date, knowing very well that Emma is right, and that she just has to give Robin a chance. She trusts that he will be able to find his way back to her, and when that happens, she will be waiting for him with open arms, ready to pick up their life together from where they left off.

After what appears to be an eternity, Regina decides to break the silence herself, a sigh of defeat leaving her lips as she asks, "So, will you help me choose what to wear?"

Emma smiles, clearly pleased that her silence had done the job, "Of course," she tells her, gesturing for Henry to join them at the table. The boy occupies the seat beside his mother, while Emma wraps her arm around the ten-year-old, "We have to help Regina find something to wear for her dinner with Robin, are you in the mood for one of your operations?"

Henry's smile widens at his mother's words, and Regina can't help but smirk at how Emma as the ability to make a boring outfit choice seem like a perfect plan for a ten-year-old boy.

...

It turns out, Emma did really mean go shopping, something Regina finds completely unnecessary, considering the amount of clothes she keeps in her closet. The blonde had insisted she should buy something new, something that would make Robin's jaw drop to the floor... and of course, Regina had rolled her eyes and had tried to talk her out of it, but she hadn't been really lucky, seeing as they keep walking through the shopping corridors.

"This is boring."

"I know, sweetheart," Regina wraps her arm around Henry's shoulders, following his mother into yet another store. _'Don't you want to surprise him?_ ' her friend had asked, and yes, of course Regina wants to cause a good impression, that's why she ended up agreeing with this whole thing, "Emma, maybe I could just wear one of my dresses-"

"No way! Robin already saw you in all of your clothes, you should go for something different," the blonde woman argues, going through the dresses neatly hung on the hangers. She reaches for one entirely red, a silver band decorating the waistline.

Regina just shakes her head, "Do I have to remind you that he won't have memory of it?"

Emma only seems to ignore her, placing the dress back on the hanger before continuing her search. Regina loves her best friend, she really does, but sometimes she's just too stubborn, even for her own good. She really just feels sorry for Henry, spending his free afternoon from school scooped inside a shopping center. He, pretty sure, would rather be home playing with his video games, or reading the book he so enthusiastically had told her about.

"This is a first date, Regina, what's the harm if you buy _one_ dress?" Emma tells her, and well, yes, maybe it will be quicker if she just cooperates, "C'mon, tell me what we should be looking for."

The brunette sighs, defeated, looks at the boy beside her, who just shrugs in response, "I really don't know, Emma, I don't know where he is taking me. Maybe something black?"

She only knows they will have dinner. She doesn't know where, or if it's something formal... God, she could've just asked Robin.

"Alright, something simple but elegant, how does that sound?" Emma tries one more time, focusing her attention on the next section of dresses while Regina shares an amused smirk with the ten-year-old.

"When did you become such a fashion expert?"

"Yeah, mom, you wear jackboots and leather jackets," Henry sneers, earning an annoyed scowl from his mother. But Emma doesn't seem affected by their banter, keeps searching through the rack of dresses, removing another one from its hanger.

This time, the dress is all in black. Sheer lace covering the arms in long sleeves, and with a V neckline atop the black bodice. Regina can't help but run her fingers over the sheer hem of the skirt. It's not overly sexy, actually, it's perfect for a first date.

"Emma, it's beautiful."

Henry nods, shrugging his shoulders, "Yeah, it's cool."

"And look at the back," Emma turns the dress so Regina is faced with the same V-shape decorating the backside, ending with a zipper that goes down to her lower back, "Robin won't know what hit him."

"Eww," Henry grimaces, crossing his arms in front of his chest, "Can you just try on the dress?"

 **\- Friday -**

 **October 20, 2017**

The dress fit perfectly, and Regina wakes up feeling more confident on Friday morning.

She is surprised to find the house completely empty at such early hours, only a piece of paper left on the kitchen counter, informing her that Robin had left with his parents to have breakfast together. It doesn't bother her, not really, she had told him she would meet Tink at the hospital that morning, so she was not really planning to have a family breakfast anyway. She's happy that Robin seems to be enjoying the time with his parents - they live across the ocean from them, and she has to admit they don't visit them in Europe as often as she would like. Maybe when the baby is born they can plan a family trip to the British capital, that's if things with Robin go as planned.

But first, she has to make sure her child is growing healthy, and she needs to hurry if she doesn't want to be late for her first appointment.

Running her hand over her flat belly, Regina walks towards the fruit bowl to pick one of the apples, before grabbing her coat on the foyer and making her way towards the car. It's Friday morning and the traffic must be chaotic. She is expecting to take half an hour (or even more) to get to the hospital, and she really wants to be there on time for the first prenatal visit.

As expected, she sets foot into the maternity ward at 9:15 in the morning, just fifteen minutes before the time of her appointment. She tries to entertain herself flipping through some magazines, all of them talking about pregnancy and the baby development week by week. She learns that, right now, her baby is about the size of a poppy seed, a strange thought, considering she feels connected to this baby already. How can it be just a seed? How can it be something so small if the connection between them is already so big?

"Regina Mills?" she hears from the other side of the room, finding Dr. Whale waiting for her just across the small hallway. He's wearing his usual white coat, a stethoscope around his neck, and his blue eyes seem brighter than ever, as he stares at her with a hint of surprise on his face.

He doesn't speak a word as she follows him down the hallway towards his office, taking a seat across his leather chair at his desk. He spends some time just studying the papers in his hands - her file, she supposes - and she feels herself growing more nervous by the minute, more anxious, until he finally breaks the silence to tell her, "I was surprised to see you had an appointment today. Congratulations," and well, that's... nice.

"Thank you," she offers him a smile, drops her gaze towards her belly for just a second, before her attention shifts to the doctor one more time, "I know it's early, but I want to make sure everything is alright."

Whale finally stops pacing the room to take the seat across from her, putting her mind a little more at ease. She is a doctor herself, and it's usually not a good sign when people get this restless. She doesn't know Whale that well to be able to read his signs, they just happen to work in the same hospital - she never made an effort to get to know him, if she is honest, but she knows he is a good doctor, and her child deserves the best. Friendly or not, Whale is in the top of her list. He knows what he is doing, he is one of the best obstetricians she knows.

"It's quite alright," he tells her, reaching for a white sheet in one of the drawers, and a pen in the breast pocket of his coat, "Although I have to admit it _is_ a bit early... did you take a pregnancy test?"

Regina nods her head, explains, "I ran a few tests on my own. And I had been feeling... different. Too tired, my breasts are sensitive, and we had been trying to conceive, so it was pretty obvious."

Whale smiles, leans back against his chair, "Well, this is obviously not a regular appointment, then. You know what you're doing, you're a doctor, you could've waited until the eight-week mark... so what brings you here today?"

Regina bites her lip, recalling the events of the last few days as she admits, "I'm worried... and I'm no obstetrician, I only know the basics about pregnancy," she works in the E.R, she never brought a baby into this world, hers or someone else's, "I don't know if you heard about what happened to Robin..." thankfully for her, Dr. Whale nods his head, so it means she doesn't have to relieve that nightmare one more time, "I've been under a lot of stress, and I'm worried it could've made any damage to the baby."

She almost can see the doctor thinking, judging by the serious look on his face. Her father is right, it helps to talk about this with someone else, someone who knows about the issue. She doesn't have to feel so lonely anymore, so scared.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning. I'll need a few more information to add to your file," Whale tells her, his eyes shifting towards the screen of his computer, "Can you tell me the first day of your last period? So I can determine your due date."

Regina nods thoughtful, reaches for the little notepad inside her purse before she tells him, "September 10th."

She had been so disappointed to see that they have failed again, that she hadn't been able to get pregnant one more time. The month before that, her period had been late, so she thought they had done it, they had made a child, but a few days later that dream had been crashed, and the only thing they could do was wait and try again.

"Well, it seems your baby will be here by June 17th," he offers her a smile, and she can't help but smile back at the thought. _Her baby_. She will get to hold her bundle of joy in just a few months, "It's a good date, you won't have to endure the hot days of summer while pregnant."

Regina sighs, somewhat relieved to hear that, even though she never went through something similar. She can imagine the discomfort, though, trying to go through the last stage of pregnancy while facing the high temperatures of the summer months. Unfortunately for her child, he or she will have to endure it itself, which she is pretty sure will result in sleepless nights for both the baby and its parents.

"I can't wait to meet him," Regina whispers, her hand settling on her still flat belly.

"Oh, are you certain it will be a boy?" Dr. Whale asks, "Some mothers just know."

Well, she certainly doesn't think she knows. All she can do for now is imagine a little boy playing with Roland, or a baby girl tucked in Robin's arms, her blue eyes matching her father's bright ones. As she thinks about it, she can't even settle on a preference. She is so used to be surrounded by boys that she would be delighted to welcome another one to her family. But on the other hand, a girl would be a good change in scenery, even if she knows how girls can be a handful when older. She is just glad it's not up to her to make the decision.

"I was just generalizing," she tells him, "It's too soon for that anyway."

"Alright, let's get to the point then," Whale continues, studying the papers over the table, "It says here this is your first pregnancy."

Well... it seems is time to talk about the past then.

"It is my first pregnancy," the brunette confirms, unable to avoid the sigh that escapes when she thinks about a much younger Regina, "I tried to get pregnant once, with no avail..." she is suddenly assaulted with the memories of herself sitting on her bed, a pregnancy test in hand, another single line in her sight. She had been so disappointed, had thrown the little white stick to the ground, her hands covering her face as she cried, and cried. She felt useless, so guilty every time she needed to tell Daniel that she hadn't been able to get pregnant... again, "My boyfriend and I... we tried a couple of times... a lot, to be honest, so it was clear something was not right. I always thought it was my fault, so I ended up pulling away."

That was when everything began falling apart. When she started to refuse his attempts of getting close to her, when Daniel started to work late almost every night, "I wanted to be a mother, but I couldn't stand to see another negative result. I felt like a failure, like I was... broken. I didn't want to try anymore, our... intimacy no longer existed," so Daniel had started cheating on her. That idiot, self-centered asshole had just given up on his own girlfriend - not that Dr. Whale needs to know about _that_ , "I took a lot of tests to try to know why we weren't being able to get pregnant, but we never came to a conclusion. The doctors never found any problem, and no one was ever able to tell me what was happening," she feels the pain of those days coming back as she talks about it, even if she has no reason to feel that way anymore. She is not with Daniel, and she is pregnant with Robin's child, she couldn't be more excited, "I'm sorry, this was probably more than you expected when you asked the question."

Whale hadn't seemed annoyed as she explained the struggles she faced when she tried to get pregnant the first time, so Regina doesn't dwell much on it. But she is thankful when the doctor shakes his head, dismissing, his voice reassuring when he tells her, "The more information the merrier. And I'm almost certain the problem wasn't on you... did your partner take any tests?"

"No," Regina shakes her head, scoffing, "He was _certain_ he wasn't the problem," he was never the problem. Even when they argued about the most stupid things, Daniel would think he was always right, would never give in, "We broke up and I never thought about this anymore. But seeing how everything unfolded..." she runs her hand over her belly, "I don't think I have something that keeps me of getting pregnant."

"I don't think so too," Whale agrees, easily, "But I want to follow closely your pregnancy. I will order you some tests."

The brunette nods, watching as the doctor scribbles something on a piece of paper. Regina takes a deep breath and leans back against her seat, feeling a lot lighter now that everything is out in the open, but there's one more thing taking up space in her thoughts, "What about my job? It's stressful, even dangerous sometimes, what should I do about it?"

Her question draws Whale's attention to herself one more time as the doctor straightens in his seat, his voice firm when he tells her, "Both parts will have to compromise. You'll have to talk to your supervisor, we certainly don't want any complications during the pregnancy."

Considering her supervisor is a great friend of hers, she doesn't think it will be difficult to reach an agreement with Tink.

"I want you to rest as much as you can, you shouldn't have long shifts. Ask for the desk work until the baby is born, you can't come into contact with dangerous substances."

Regina sighs at the amount of information, especially because she hates desk work, "I will."

"Remember, this is for your baby's health."

She knows he is right, and of course she will do everything in her power to protect this child. She wouldn't put her baby's life at risk because she didn't want to take it easy on her job, her child is more important, she will make sure to follow every instruction.

"Of course, I will talk to Tink as soon as possible," Regina assures, thinking about the meeting she has with her friend just right after the appointment. It will be one more person to know about her pregnancy before the baby's own father. It's definitely not how Regina wanted to do things.

"Good. And considering it's a bit too soon, we will schedule another appointment in a month," Whale tells her, "Maybe then we can take a look at your baby for the first time."

Regina brightens up at that, at the prospect of seeing her child. A month seems too far away, but will definitely give her time to deal with Robin's situation. She will have four weeks to work things with her fiancée, to convince him to trust her enough to believe she is carrying his child. Just the thought of it makes her nervous. To think Robin can even doubt her word.

"It sounds good," she agrees, even though she doesn't really have another option right now, "I can schedule the appointment in the reception."

"Please, do that," Dr. Whale tells her, handing her a few papers, "And take these tests, and these prenatal vitamins... I will see you in a month."

Regina nods, grabbing her purse as she stands from the chair, "I'll see you in a month."

 **...**

"So," Tink closes the door to the hospital staff room, before taking the seat beside Regina at the table, "You look better."

The brunette smiles, shrugs, "Things are falling into place."

And this meeting is proof of that. If she is honest, Regina is looking forward to starting working again, to have something to keep her mind occupied. Tink had told her they could talk about her shifts today, and Regina couldn't be more anxious. She knows she will have to take it easy - both because of the baby and because she still has Robin to help back at home - but it will definitely be a distraction, something she needs to ease her back to her normal routine.

Except that, first, she needs to tell her friend about the pregnancy, and she knows how Tink will be thoughtful (maybe a bit too much) about that issue. She will make sure nothing bad happens to this baby, even though Regina is still barely over her first month of pregnancy.

She will agree, of course, as long as she doesn't have to stop working altogether. She needs to do something with her life to feel useful, she won't stand to spend a year at home just playing housewives, it's not like her. She loves to be a doctor, loves to save people's lives. She likes to see the smiles on the relatives' faces whenever she tells them the good news, or when they come to pick up a loved one to take back home.

She thinks about Robin, about the day she learned he would be discharged. She had been so relieved, although a bit apprehensive about what awaited them the following days. She is usually more positive under these circumstances than most of the people - perks of being a doctor, maybe - but she can't help it when it comes to her family, and Robin is one of the most important people in her life.

But he is home now, and safe. And he had asked her out on a date. They will be fine, she tells herself, she just needs to give him time, and space.

So here she is, ready to start living again, while Robin is spending time with his parents. It almost resembles the normalcy.

"I'm happy for you," Tink tells her, and Regina sighs relaxed, takes a sip of her hot tea and leans back against her chair, "I'm glad you feel ready to get back to work."

"You were the one who told me to take a few days," Regina teases, because, well, it's the truth. Of course, she wasn't at her best when she found her fiancée lying unconscious in a hospital bed, but she didn't need so many days off work, "I love what I do, you know that."

"I know, Regina," Tink smiles, but the brunette just shifts in her seat, sighs.

"Which is why I hate to ask you this."

Tink straightens at the serious tone in her friend's voice, no doubt picturing the worst case scenario in her mind.

Oh, if she only knew...

Tink will be delighted, Regina knows this, but she also knows that the team will be outnumbered by the time she goes on maternity leave (if not even sooner).

"Is everything alright?" the doctor asks, worry clear in her voice.

"Yes, everything is alright," Regina assures, "I... I'm pregnant."

She watches as the smile on her friend's lips widens at her words, and she's immediately engulfed in a hug when Tink leaves her seat to wrap her arms around the brunette. She can make out the words 'Congratulations!' and 'Oh my god' leave her friend's lips, her hands running up and down Regina's back enthusiastically. They remain like this for another minute, and it actually feels like everything is right in her life again, but then Tink pulls back to look at Regina, her smile a bit more restrained when she asks, "Does Robin..."

 _God_ , she takes a deep breath, preparing herself for what is coming next. She had hoped her friend wouldn't bring back that issue, but that would be asking too much, she supposes. Maybe it's good to talk about this with a friend instead of only her father or her ob-gyn.

"He doesn't know," Regina answers the question in her mind, "It's just the first month, I didn't have time."

As she was expecting, Tink moves her chair to sit closer to Regina, her voice soft when she tells her, "It's alright, you still have plenty of time-"

"I had my first appointment today, Tink, and I had to go alone," she does her best to keep from lashing out on her friend, who is not the one to blame for what happened to Robin. She is upset, not at Tink, of course, but at the situation. She just wants what any other woman in her condition desires, their partner support. She wants Robin to know he is going to be a father, she wants him to have the opportunity to witness _everything_.

Tink sighs, nods her head, takes Regina's hand between hers and tells her, "I know it's hard," and well, God forgive her for even think about it, but no, her friend has no idea how she feels.

"I have my next appointment in a month," Regina shrugs, "I want to believe everything will be different by then."

Tink nods, a silent but reassuring nod with her head, before placing her hand on Regina's belly, "Is everything alright with the baby?"

"I think so," Regina smiles, can't help it, decided to put Robin's issue behind her back for now, "I have to run some blood tests, but I feel good."

She leans back against her chair, a little more relaxed now. Her own hand runs over her flat stomach, a deep breath leaving her mouth. And then she hears, "I can do it for you if you want," and while she's really thankful her friend is willing to help, she really wants to reach the point that brought her to this meeting today - her schedule.

"Maybe next week," she tells her, and Tink only nods, "Whale said I should take it easy in the E.R, but I was hoping I could return to normal for now?"

"You mean the twelve hours shifts?" the doctor teases, and Regina grimaces - well, not the _twelve_ hours shifts, but... "There's no way, Regina, not for the next year, that's for sure," and well, she was, honestly, already expecting that, she supposes, "You can start by working six hours. And _only_ the cases I approve first."

"Alright," the brunette sighs, "Everything is better than desk work."

"Oh, we will get there," her friend teases, though Regina knows she is probably not joking, "We don't want you catching anything from the patients. Six hours is a lot in the E. R, you know that, and until you reach the second trimester, I don't want you exhausting yourself. We will talk again in two months, but for now, only the cases I give you and six hours at most."

"Yes, boss."

Tink laughs at that, her hands moving to find Regina's and giving it a squeeze, "You know I'm not trying to be mean, right? I just want you to be safe."

"I know," Regina smiles, raising her brow, "The baby comes always first. I'm not irresponsible."

"No, just stubborn," Tink teases, winking at her as she stands from her seat, which prompts Regina to do the same. The meeting is over, it appears, she knows her friend is working, so she shouldn't really take too much of her time.

"You can start on Monday," the blonde tells her, her words earning a smile from the brunette when she says, "But until there, I want you to rest as much as you can."

It's fair, Regina thinks. Monday is good. Monday will give her plenty of time to get herself ready.

* * *

I **know you are all waiting for Robin and Regina's date, and it will happen in the next chapter.**

 **Thank you for reading, and, please, leave a review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

 **-Friday -**

 **October 20, 2017**

"Darling, look at you," his mother opens the door to his bedroom at six in the afternoon, just fifteen minutes after Robin gets out of the shower to get ready for his date with Regina.

He's wearing one of his dark blue polos over a pale blue-colored shirt, a pair of black jeans completing the set - he had thought Regina deserved a bit of effort on his part after everything she's been through, so he had wanted to look good for their date, regardless of what will come from it. It's still a date with a beautiful woman, and he is still the same man who likes to make a good impression on the ladies. It doesn't matter if she is already his fiancee, nor does it matter if she is a complete stranger. Regina had been nothing but kind to him, and he will try to provide her with a good time.

So Robin smiles and sprays a bit of perfume on himself, asks, "Do I look good?" to which his mother assures that he looks 'Perfect'.

"Are you excited?" she asks as she fixes the collar of his shirt, her blue eyes focused on the soft fabric.

Robin only shrugs his shoulders at her question - probably not the reaction his mother was expecting - as he reaches for the sling that lays on top of the bed, wrapping it around his injured arm, "I do want to try to give her a chance."

If, at least, it was as simple as that...

He wishes he could just make himself fall in love with Regina all over again, wishes he would be able to return her feelings for him. But things are not as simple, and he truly doesn't want to hurt the woman who has been living for him for the past few days. He has been trying not to think too much about this night, is trying to 'go with the flow', for lack of better words.

"I'm sure it will be alright," his mother offers, leaning for a kiss on his cheek before leading him out of the bedroom door, "Now go on, Regina is already waiting for you."

...

Sure enough, she has been standing in front of the rounded golden mirror, looking quite beautiful in a black, lacy dress. She is not, by all means, a bad-looking woman, so it shouldn't be difficult for Robin to feel attracted to her (it isn't, not really, he is actually quite attracted by her beauty, he just didn't reach the 'fall in love stage' yet). It takes more than a few days for Robin to connect with a woman (or at least, he thought it was this way before, apparently, meeting Regina for the first time), so he is trying to take things slow, getting to know her before jumping into a serious relationship.

He does want to give it a chance, he truly does, and it really helps that she is also very easy to be with, to talk with - Robin had followed his mother, not so subtle, suggestion of taking Regina to an Italian restaurant, and she has been bragging about the food since the moment they sit down at the table (lasagna is her favorite, she tells him, though she opts for a Capellini because she can cook lasagna herself - and very well, it appears).

It's pleasant, and he does like to see her smile, it means she is having a good time, at least.

They eat, and she tells him a bit more about herself, not once making him feel uncomfortable for not knowing that she always wanted to be a doctor, or that she was studying to be a pediatrician before deciding to dedicate her life to the E.R (all things he should know by now, even if she doesn't seem bothered to remind him).

She is... everything a guy would want, to be honest. Really patient, caring, beautiful... and what if he will just hurt her in the end?

"Are you alright?" she asks after a moment, and only then he realizes he has been brooding the whole time, while she has been the one trying to keep the conversation flowing, "I've been talking a lot, I'm sorry."

Robin chuckles at that, can't help it, because, while that's the truth, it doesn't upset him in the slightest. It should even work to keep his mind occupied, away from the thoughts about a future with Regina and whether or not he will be able to meet her expectations.

It's definitely easier said than done, especially when she is being so nice to him.

"No, I..." he smiles, assuring, "I like to hear you talk."

Regina rolls her eyes at his words, but he can see the hint of the smile she tries to hide when she takes a sip of her water, "Yeah, I'm sure-"

"It's the truth," Robin interrupts before she could even think otherwise, watching as she blushes slightly at his words, "It's just... a bit overwhelming, how I still have so much to know about you."

Her attention is suddenly focused on her fork as she wraps a piece of spaghetti around the metal cutlery. She is not smiling anymore, she even looks a bit... apprehensive. It definitely wasn't Robin intention to ruin the mood when things had been going pretty well for them tonight, but it's true that it's strange... how she knows everything about him and he knows nothing about Regina.

Who is her family? Does she have any brothers or sisters? How does she see their future together?

 _Christ,_ he didn't even know something as simple as which flowers he should have bought to offer her on this date.

"Maybe I should let you talk for a change," Regina tries to tease, but her smile it's a bit enforced, focusing her attention back on the plate with her food, "You know, it's been almost a year since you opened _Sherwood_... you and Will were planning this big party-"

"Wait, Will? Like... Will Scarlet?" he asks surprised, a confused frown on his face.

Regina can't help but chuckle, explaining, "He's been working with you since the beginning."

Robin feels a smile pull at his lips at the mention of his childhood friend. They had been best friends back in England, but they had lost contact when Robin decided to move to America, in search of a better life. Will had understood, of course, and he had hoped their friendship would remain the same, but he never thought that it could come to this, the realization of the dream they had always talked about during their youth.

"I thought he was still in Europe," Robin admits, still shocked.

"He moved here to help you with the bar," Regina explains, smiling herself, happy to have found an easier subject for Robin to talk about, no doubt, "And then he fell in love and... well, I think he's not considering to go back so soon."

He catches the appreciation in the brunette's voice, maybe grateful to Will for being his right hand during this last year. Robin's grateful too, of course, even if he doesn't remember a thing, he's grateful for all the support his friends had apparently been given them the whole time.

"I would like to see him again," Robin says, smiling, "He's like a young, and annoying, brother."

Regina chuckles at that, no doubt already familiar with the kind of relationship he has with his friend.

"He's a good man," she says, her eyes shifting to Robin's injured arm, "He wanted to visit you at the hospital, but when he knew you had lost your memory... he was afraid it would be too much of a shock to you."

"I understand," Robin nods his head, his eyes softening, "I should pay him a visit one of these days."

"I could take you to the bar," Regina offers, always helpful. She really is making it easy for him to like her, maybe even too soon. She's in love with him, and she remembers everything about their relationship, while he is just starting to get to know her for now. He doesn't want to hurt her, doesn't want to give himself too soon and spoil everything because he couldn't wait. She's a good woman, and Roland adores her, he _needs_ to do things properly.

"Maybe another night," Robin tells her with a smile, "Today I was hoping I could take you for a walk in the moonlight?"

...

They walk together side by side, arms brushing against each other as they try to walk off dinner. It's not as cold as she thought it would be, only mild enough that her black coat is sufficient to do the job. Her shoes, on the other hand, are killing her feet, not really made to stroll through Central Park with a baby and a generous plate of food in her belly, it seems.

She should've opted for another pair of shoes, one that wouldn't make her hiss in pain every time she takes a step, urging Robin to stop them in their tracks to ask, "Are you alright?"

His concern is enough to put a smile on her lips, but not terribly effective to convince him that she's fine. There's no point to lie, anyway, these shoes were not made for walking, and she would rather not end up with blisters on her toes two days before she is supposed to get back to work.

"My feet are killing me," she admits, a grimace on her face.

She hears Robin chuckle at her words, gesturing with his chin to a nearby bench and inviting her to sit. He takes the free spot beside Regina, patiently waiting as she pulls the black stilettos off her feet.

God, how embarrassing. She might feel comfortable around Robin, but he's still getting to know her for the first time, and this was still supposed to be a first date... she's making quite the first impression, no doubt.

"I had something planned in my mind," his words have Regina raising her head to look back at him, a curious, and confused frown appearing on her face. She notices his teeth are trapping his bottom lip, and he's focused, studying their surroundings. And then he asks, "Can you wait here for a bit?" and well... she's thankful to have a moment to rest her feet, so she can't say she minds at all.

...

Robin is back nearly five minutes later, and the sight of him has her heart fluttering inside her chest.

From what she can see from where she sits, he is carrying what appears to be a bouquet of flowers, the street dark enough that she can't quite figure which ones he had chosen to offer her tonight. It makes her think of the days Robin would come home with a bouquet of lilies in his hands, telling her he couldn't help but choose the flowers that were as beautiful as her. He would always know when she had had a bad day, and his gesture would always put a smile on her face, no matter how moody she had been feeling hours earlier.

This time, she realizes, he had brought her roses, Robin's smile becoming sheepish as he stops in front of her and hands her the bouquet, "I wanted you to personally choose the flowers, but I guess you can never go wrong with roses."

The brunette can't help but chuckle at his words, standing up from her seat to pull him closer in a hug. Without her heels, her head fits perfectly in the crook of his neck, his perfume invading her nostrils as she mutters a quiet, and touched, "Thank you, they are beautiful."

"No need for that," he assures with a smile, pulling back to be able to look at her face.

He's standing too close now, and she can't help but think how handsome he looks under the street lights. His eyes are shining in the moonlight, his lips parting and drawing Regina's attention to the movement.

God, she misses him terribly, misses those lips. She misses the way he would kiss her after offering her the flowers, how they would spend the rest of the night just cuddling in bed.

She focuses her attention on the sling on his arm, adjusting the strap, for lack of better things to do. Robin doesn't make any move to step away from her, and she's not that strong that she will be able to push him away. This has been the closest they had been in the past few days, and she's sure as hell she won't refuse any advances on his part. She doesn't even flinch when his hand grabs her own to stop her movement, his eyes moving to her lips, almost uncertain about what to do.

She's not sure who moves first, who closes the distance between them until she feels his lips close to her own, but she _does_ feel Robin stepping closer to her, his hand shifting to her hair as her mouth brush his, and they linger in a soft kiss...

...

He was the one who started it.

The kiss. The press of lips against each other, his own moving with such precision and determination, caressing hers between his own as her free hand moves slowly and settles gently on his waist. Her thumb hangs loosely on one of his belt loops, but when his own brushes the side of her neck, he feels Regina shiver in response. She has been very carefully whenever they touch, holding back for his sake, he's sure, and Robin can't help but ask himself if they really - really - should be doing this, jeopardize what they've, so hard, been building between them so far.

They probably shouldn't. He should've kept to his plan of getting to know her, instead of risk and kiss her on their first date.

Well... to be precise, this is not their first date, and he's certain there's no woman in the world who deserves his affections more than Regina - she lets out this adorable little sigh while he is distracted with his thoughts, and Robin can't help but think he needs to try if he wants to make this work, should give her a real chance instead of beating around the bushes.

And... _Christ_ , not to mention she's quite a good kisser. She brushes her tongue against his lower lip, clearly asking for entrance in his mouth. When he gets the first taste of her, he can't stop the groan in the back of his throat. She's an attractive woman, and she's in love with him, what is the harm if he indulges her for tonight?

She deepens the kiss when Robin's hand moves to cup her cheek, her own wrapping around his lower back, bringing her closer to his body. His bandaged arm is now trapped between them both, and Regina ends up pushing it with a bit more force than she intended, making Robin pull back with a painful hiss.

"My arm," he explains a bit embarrassed, positively surprised when Regina just smiles.

She chuckles, actually, adjusts the flowers in her arm and brushes her free hand through his sling, her voice a bit sheepish when she mutters, "I'm sorry, I forgot about it for a moment."

"It's alright," Robin assures, catching her hand in his own and lacing their fingers together - he doesn't miss the way her eyes shift surprisingly to their joined hands, her lips tilting up in a smile as she slips back on her black stilettos. He does his best to help her balance, can't help but laugh when she hisses in pain once they resume their walk, "We should get back."

Regina gives his hand a squeeze, offers him a teasing smirk and tells him, "Yes. Yes, we should."

...

The night was better than Robin anticipated.

Regina seemed to enjoy their time together, and it wasn't as awkward for Robin as he first thought it could be. They had walked hand in hand all the way towards Regina's car, and he has to admit it had felt good... right, even, just like the kiss they had shared only a few minutes prior.

She's a beautiful woman - inside and out - those big, dark eyes carry a tenderness every time she looks at him, and she's been more than a friend to him, showing him the life he had called his for these past few months. She _does_ deserve someone who can make her truly happy. Someone who can love her the same way. Robin is still not sure he can be that person, but he has decided that he is willing to find out.

So it's with those thoughts occupying his mind that he follows Regina into their quiet house, holding the bouquet of roses for her as she gets rid of her coat and shoes. There's not a soul to be seen, the lights all out except for the one in the lobby, the only sound is Regina's sigh as her bare feet touch the floor. Robin can't help but chuckle at her relief, thanking God he was born a man and doesn't have to wear high heels for these occasions (if he's going to be honest, she didn't even need to wear high heels for this date, either, he actually finds quite adorable how she looks so small without her four-inch stilettos hurting her feet).

"I'm wearing flats next time," she tells him as she could've read his thoughts, helping Robin with his own jacket and reaching for the flowers one more time, "Let me just put these in the water."

Robin nods his head, tells her to 'lead the way', following the brunette towards the empty kitchen and watching as she reaches for one of the empty jars to fill it with water. She spends the next few minutes preparing the flowers for the arrangement, her smile widening as her fingers play with one of the red petals, "They are beautiful," she mutters, more to herself than really Robin, but it puts a smile on his face, nonetheless, "Thank you, one more time."

"It's a tradition to offer flowers on the first date," Robin dismisses, explains, "I just didn't know what you liked, so I thought I would take you to the shop so you could choose them yourself," he had wanted to surprise her somehow, show her how grateful he is for everything she is doing for him. Roses had seemed a little basic, a bit... impersonal, in his view, but he is still getting to know her, and it seemed better to be on the safe side, "I'm glad you like them, though."

"I love them," she assures, leaning forward to catch a bit of the flowers' scent. The movement has her shoulder brushing against Robin's chest, his hand moving to run over Regina's back, absent-mindedly. He doesn't think too much of it before he feels Regina tensing at his gesture, straightening her back and moving away from him to occupy one of the seats at the kitchen island.

 _Right_... Robin thinks with a sigh, watching her with a sad frown - they still have to talk about what happened, about what the kiss they shared earlier tonight meant for both of them.

"Regina," Robin clears his throat, hoping to catch her attention, "I think we should talk about-"

"I know," she interrupts, clearly aware he is referring to what happened between them earlier at the park. It's clear she's still fighting against her own feelings, even after he has been the one who kissed her in the middle of the Central Park - that's one of the reasons why Robin made a point of bringing this up, because he too wonders if it was the right thing to do, and he really wants to put everything out in the open.

To his surprise, it's Regina who breaks the silence first, looking anxious and apprehensive, her voice almost inaudible when she asks, "Do you..." she swallows, takes a minute to compose herself, "Do you regret it?"

"God, no," Robin is quick to assure, though he can understand why she would think something like that, "I just think we shouldn't ignore it. I'm sure we would both feel better if we knew where we stand."

He doesn't want to fool Regina, nor does he want her to think he chose to kiss her out of pity. That's far from the truth, and she deserves to know what's going on in his head - in his heart - even if he still can't put a label on his feelings for the brunette.

"Look, I..." he sighs, not really knowing where to start, "You've been wonderful, and I have to thank you for that-"

"Robin-"

"Wait," he stops her before she could get ahead of herself, decided to lay the cards on the table, "I told you this date was not because I felt guilty, or sorry for you, it's far from that, actually," he trails off, taking a step in her direction and occupying the seat beside the brunette at the kitchen counter, "I _wanted_ to take you out tonight, and the same happened with the kiss..." he watches the way her teeth peek out to trap her bottom lip, a shade of red painting her cheeks, "Regina... I kissed you because I wanted to. Because I want to give this a chance."

She seems shocked for a minute, looking so small and shy when she asks, "You do?"

"Yes," he nods with a smile on his face, his hand moving to cover her own on her knee, "I'm not saying we will start from where we left, that we will get married as we planned, but I'm willing to start from scratch... be friends above everything else."

It's the best he can offer, honestly, everything more would be tricking her. He doesn't think he needs any more time to think about this issue, to wander around the house and pretend he doesn't have a past with this woman. But he does need to take things slow if he wants to make everything right, if only to spare Regina from more pain if this doesn't work out between them in the end.

"That's... reasonable," she agrees with a nod of her head, though she still looks a bit apprehensive, maybe a bit confused about how everything will work from now on.

"I understand if it's strange for you. You didn't lose almost two years of your life," Robin offers, wanting to give her an exit, but she shakes her head decidedly.

"It's not strange," she assures, tries to offer him a smile, but Robin can imagine that 'close friends' was not what she had in mind. Still, she tells him, "I would like to try that," and Robin feels a bit better with himself, makes a promise that he will never do anything to hurt Regina, even if things don't end as they first planned.

"You can tell me if something upsets you," he tells her, seriously, "Friends above everything else, yeah?"

She offers him another 'yeah', and moves to stand from her seat, gives his hand a comforting squeeze before removing it from his grasp and walking towards the door, "I'm going to bed... goodnight, Robin."

"Goodnight, Regina," he says as he watches her disappear down the hallway, wondering if he, indeed, made the right decision for both of them.

* * *

 **Well... let me know what you think! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for taking so long to update. Regina's day back to work will come with a little surprise, enjoy :)**

* * *

Chapter 7.

 **\- Monday -**

 **October 23, 2017**

The weekend is blessedly slow and quiet, gives Regina the time to think about Robin's words, which she is still processing when she wakes up on Monday morning, earlier than she really needs to. It's only 6 a.m when she first opens her eyes and spares a glance at the clock on the bedside table, the red light hurting her sight and making her roll over in a failed attempt to go back to sleep. Her mind is in full commotion for someone who had _just_ woken up, thoughts of Robin and his words of Friday night, echoing in her head.

She decides to take those thoughts with her to the shower, figuring that if she is not going to be able to go back to sleep, she might as well get ready for her first day back at work. She spends a full thirty minutes just standing underneath the hot water, washing away her worries and fears, before returning to the bedroom and slip into something more comfortable (she remembers she will have to change as soon as she gets to the hospital, which earns her a trip to the laundry room to iron and pack her scrubs).

By the time she's done and finally heads to the kitchen to pack something for breakfast, she is surprised to see Robin sitting on one of the stools, munching on a piece of toast, before taking a sip of what appears to be his favorite orange juice.

"Good morning," he tells her, voice rough from sleep. It makes her wonder why is he up so early when he really has no reason to - Robin has never been an early riser, but these last few days she had found him out of bed before everyone else, more times than not, "Excited to be back to work?"

Regina nods, a genuine smile growing on her face as she tells him, "I am," at the same time she fills a bottle with juice, and reaches for a slice of fresh bread, "I'm earlier than I need to, but I want to take care of some things first."

She will take advantage of the time she has and will get the blood tests done. Tink had already offered to do it for her, and at least it will be one less thing taking space in her head (not to mention she will certainly feel better to confirm her baby is, indeed, alright).

"I hope you have a good first day," Robin offers, watching her pack her food before he speaks again, "In fact... I was hoping I could come with you to the hospital? Tink has been asking to check on my arm, and I need her to give me more painkillers to bring home."

She's a bit surprised, though, that he forgot to tell her about this appointment today. Not that he needs to tell her how he will spend every minute of his day when she's finally back to work, but she thought he would include her when it comes to his recovery after the accident, so she can't help but feel a bit disappointed... sad, even.

"Yes, of course," she smiles - more a grimace than anything - and asks, "What time is your appointment?"

Robin stands up, drinks what's left of his juice in one sip, before putting the glass in the dishwasher, "I don't really have an appointment. Tink told me she will make time to see me. She just wants to check how my arm is healing."

Regina nods at his words, happy to have his company, at least.

She tells him she will wait for him while he gets dressed, finishes packing the food to eat after she's done with the blood tests, before making her way out the door.

...

It doesn't take long for Robin to get dressed and ready to go, so they arrive at the hospital with an hour to spare, even earlier than Regina had intended to. The waiting room is visibly quiet for a Monday morning, only two couples sitting across from each other, one of them holding a little girl as she clutches a broken arm against her chest. Regina can't help but smile when the girl's eyes drift to Robin's own cast, her expression a mixture of curiosity and astonishment, no doubt surprised to see she's not the only one having a rough time lately. Robin spares a smile and a wink in the girl's direction as well, chuckling softly when she smiles shyly and buries her face in the crook of her father's neck.

It's good to be back, Regina thinks, not because she takes pleasure in seeing people injured, but because she likes to be one of the reasons to see them smiling. It's her dream of a lifetime to help people feel better, to save them from dangerous situations, sometimes to give them a second opportunity to live their lives. She's so grateful to life for giving Robin a second chance, and for sparing Roland from more serious injuries. They are her whole world, her family, she wouldn't know what to do if she had been robbed of a lifetime with them.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost misses the way Robin waves to Tink, who is standing at the counter, chatting with Ashley. The blonde spots them almost immediately, excusing herself and walking in their direction, her voice chirpy as she tells them, "Look what the cat dragged in." Regina smiles as her friend looks around the room, then at the clock on the wall, "I have time to help you with the blood tests now-"

"Tests?" Robin frowns, looking between the two women.

Tink bites her lip as if she had just revealed the secret itself, but Regina was already expecting it, knew he would eventually find out since the moment she agreed to bring him to the hospital today.

"Just... routine tests," she lies, a smile on her lips, but Robin seems to accept it, nods his head before they both follow Tink through the hospital corridors.

It takes less than ten minutes for Tink to collect Regina's blood samples, putting a band-aid on the brunette's elbow, before focusing her attention on her own task. She's suddenly awfully quiet, a far cry from the woman who greeted them earlier in the morning. There's no doubt there's something occupying her mind, and just the thought that something might be wrong with her pregnancy makes Regina feel immediately nervous.

"Tink," the brunette clears her throat, closing the distance between herself and her friend, as she gestures towards the vial in the doctor's hand, "Is something wrong with the-"

"Oh, no. No, everything is fine," the doctor is quick to assure, turning to fully face Regina, a smile on her face that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "It's just... your mother is here... to talk to you."

Her mother? Regina frowns, not really surprised, but not really expecting Cora to follow her to her job, either.

"Is she..." Regina stammers, sighing, "Where is she?"

"In the staff room," Tink tells her, somewhat apologetic, "She wouldn't leave."

Of course not. This is her mother they are talking about.

With another sigh, Regina gathers her things, making her way out of the room.

This is definitely going to be an interesting morning.

...

"You don't have to come."

Regina walks briskly down the hospital halls, Robin following right behind with a confused look on his face. She shouldn't be surprised, to be honest, it was clear her mother would make an appearance, sooner or later, after the show they had put on the coffee shop just over a week ago. Cora has been less than pleased to suffer such public humiliation as her daughter and husband had left her standing in the middle of the diner, and there's even a part of Regina that believes she is here to make her taste her own medicine, to give her a lecture in the middle of her daughter's workplace.

Well, that's not going to happen. Not if Regina can stop it. If she thinks she will ruin her day with her usual snarky comments, she has got another thing coming-

"Hey, hey, wait," she hears Robin's soft voice in the middle of all the toxic thoughts, his hand wrapping around her wrist in an attempt to halt her steps and make her look at him, "Regina, breathe, you are-"

"Mad?" she cuts in, her dark eyes staring intently at him, "You're damn right I am!"

There's a silence between them when Regina sucks in a breath, her eyes shifting to focus entirely on the floor, her hands moving to run through her dark hair.

God, she can't do this. She can't let her mother affect her like this, she has to focus on the people who are truly important for her... Robin, and their baby, and Roland-

"I was just going to say you are making me worry," Robin tells her, carefully placing his hand on her bicep. It's clear he doesn't know how her relationship with her mother is, doesn't know how ruthless Cora can be. She needs to protect him from her mother too, she can't let her ruin his life as she is trying to do with her own daughter.

"I'm fine," Regina breathes, tries to smile, but she would be a fool to believe she could trick him so easily.

"Regina, you are not fine... let me help," the brunette breaks a little at his words, feels the stinging of the tears forming in her eyes, her adrenaline running out as she looks at Robin once again. God, her hormones. She is going to cry in the middle of the hospital hall, in front of the man who is unfortunate enough to be stuck with a woman like her.

"You don't need to worry about me," she assures, or at least, she tries to, "It's just my mother. My relationship with her is... complicated. We have different points of view of life, what's important and what's worth it, and she has her own way of doing things," Robin is staring at her with a confused look on his face, his brows furrowed, his thumb tracing lazy circles against the skin of her arm, "She believes what she wants is the best for me, but it's not what _I_ want. And so she thinks I hate her just because I don't want the same things. But I do love her, Robin, she is my mother, it's just that sometimes... people are toxic to each other, and letting go is the best way to do what's best for them."

Regina feels a tear slipping down her cheek at her own words, no doubt feeling them deeply as she thinks that maybe Robin would be better if he didn't have to deal with the baggage that comes with a relationship with her.

"I..." Robin swallows, takes a step closer to her, "I don't know your mother. And maybe I'm not a great help when it comes to this issue, but I told you I want to try this with you, so let me be there for you. Let me give you, at least, half the support you've been giving me."

Regina takes a deep breath, a hint of a smile making its way to the corner of her lips. He's amazing, and she doesn't deserve him, but she nods slowly, feels his arm moving across her back, pulling her closer in a hug as her own arms wrap around his torso.

...

Her mother is waiting when she opens the door to the staff room, sitting so up straight on the couch on the far corner that it actually looks like she is afraid of her back touching the cushions - she remembers how her mother hates the hospital, always telling her that that place is full of germs, that she is glad she never had to spend more than a few days inside those infected walls - for someone who always chooses to avoid that place, she couldn't even wait to talk to Regina once she returned home at the end of the day. She had to follow her daughter to her workspace, knowing how Regina would hate if that happened. Ironic, isn't it? Here she is now, with her hands carefully folded on her lap, her eyes studying her surroundings before landing on her daughter.

She immediately stands when she notices Robin entering the room behind the brunette, and Regina can't help but tense at the gesture, frowning when Cora stretches her hand to shake Robin's, a subtle "Cora Mills" slipping from her lips. Regina raises her brows (she didn't even know her mother knew about Robin's condition by now, even if she is sure it was her father who had told her about it, since she hadn't even bothered to give Regina a call since they parted ways that morning in the coffee shop).

"Robin... how are you feeling?" Cora asks, much to Regina's complete surprise. It's... strange, she has to admit, her mother had never tried to hide the fact that she doesn't approve of her and Robin relationship, why is she being so nice all of a sudden?

"I'm feeling better, thank you," Robin answers in kind, a smile on his face when he tells her, "I'm sorry I can't remember the first time we met, but it's nice to meet Regina's mother."

"Nonsense, dear," Cora dismisses quickly, her eyes moving towards Regina then, or more precisely, towards the band-aid that covers the skin on the brunette's elbow. Great... just what she needed right now, her mother getting suspicious that something is happening with her daughter, as if she wasn't enough controlling already, "What happened to you, sweetheart?"

Regina rolls the sleeve down to its right place, shaking her head and explaining, "Just routine tests. I have to make sure everything is alright before I get back to work again."

God, she hates lying. She hates that she has to hide the pregnancy from Robin, and hates that she can't trust her own mother when she needs it the most. Judging by the look on Cora's face, she can even say her mother is not buying it. She has a frown on her face that shows how suspicious she is, her lips pursing as she keeps staring at Regina, her head tilting to the side, "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Mother-"

"Alright," she relents, mutters, "I'm sorry." And to be honest, she does seem genuine, and at least she will not persist about this issue. But Cora is not one to give up so easily, takes a step in the brunette direction and says, "I was just worried about you, Regina, you didn't say anything since the day in the coffee shop."

"You know why I didn't," Regina is quick to answer. She's pretty sure her mother knows she hadn't liked her little surprise, not to mention she is not the one who owes her own daughter an apology.

"Is that why you are here?" Regina asks, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

She expects her mother to protest, to give her a lecture about how she thought that inviting Daniel would be a good idea while Robin was fighting for his life in a hospital bed, but instead, she is only met with a tired sigh, and Cora's voice echoing in yet another "I'm sorry."

Two apologies in less than five minutes... she definitely didn't see it coming.

"It was a mistake," Cora says, taking another step forward, "I thought I was helping, I didn't think you would react the way you did. You have to believe me, Regina, you know I only want the best for you."

Regina looks down at her hands, her eyes shutting tight at her mother's words. This is another lie, she knew she didn't want to see Daniel, she knows how hurt she was after he had cheated on her and after she had broken up with him.

"You're my only daughter, sweetheart, and I love you," Cora continues, and Regina takes a step back until she feels Robin's hand on the small of her back, only now remembering he is right there, witnessing the whole exchange with her mother, "I want to change. I want to be the mother you always asked me to be, I want to try to be different... But you know I can't do that all by myself. You know I will need your help. I don't know how to love very well."

Regina wants to refuse, wants to remind her that this is not the first time she's asking for another opportunity. How many times will she have to suffer until her mother decides to be sincere? How many blows will she have to forgive until she can finally have a mother in her life?

Regina thinks about the baby currently growing inside her belly, and the family she could give it if her mother is, indeed, being honest. Her child would have the love of a grandmother, instead of the disdain she's sure her mother will feel for this child if they don't fix whatever it's left of their relationship. She _wants_ to take the risk. She wants to give this child the family it deserves. Maybe she really can help to change her mother's demeanor, maybe they can try to be a family.

"You can't..." Regina sighs, her head shaking, "You can't do this. You can't come here and beg me to forgive you, telling me you want to change, that you want to be a mother all of a sudden. Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say this? How long I hoped you would love me enough to accept me and my choices? I kept coming back because I hoped you would change. You never did. You were only happy when I did exactly what you wanted, why should I believe this time will be any different? How do I know you won't end up hurting me and my family like all those other times-"

"I won't, sweetheart, I promise, I won't," Cora cups her face in her palms, then, her thumbs wiping away the traitor tears that run down Regina's cheeks.

God, she does want to believe her, she really does. She loves her mother, and she wants to fix things, but she has also been hurt so many times before, always ending up falling in her mother's mind games.

"I never meant to hurt you," Cora says, and Regina just feels the knot in her stomach getting tighter and tighter, her heart in a constant battle against her brain, not really helping decide if she should, or not, believe in a word her mother keeps saying.

"I will need more than your words to be able to believe in you this time."

Regina steps back from Cora's hold at her own words, stepping into Robin's embrace instead, and relishing in the feeling of his arm wrapping protectively around her shaking body.

It's good to feel she has his support even if he doesn't know the real nature of her relationship with her mother, or even if they are still trying to figure out how things will work out between them from now on - despite everything happening between them right now, Regina can feel his thumb drawing soft circles against the skin on her hip, his grip keeping her comfortable and steady against the side of his toned body.

"I don't need you to give me an answer right now, I figured you would need some time," Cora tells her, which comes as a surprise for Regina, because her mother had never been a patient woman, she always needs to make sure she gets exactly what she wants, _when_ she wants, "So, please, take the week to think about our conversation. I'll do my birthday lunch on Saturday, maybe you and Robin could attend for a few hours-"

"We have Roland this weekend," Regina tells her quickly, shaking her head. She's not interested to go to Cora's birthday lunch, anyway, she always hated it.

"Alright... why don't you bring him too-"

"Mother," Regina interrupts, giving her a knowing look, "You never wanted to meet him before. And only because Robin is not one of your high-class friends-"

"I'm trying to prove you I'm willing to change," her mother explains, taking another step in the brunette's direction, which only makes Regina pull away immediately, cuddling further into Robin's embrace.

It's already strange that she is being so nice with Robin, of all the people, she won't let her get to Roland as well, knowing whatever her mother is playing will probably end badly for all involved.

"I won't have him tied up to a chair for such a long time, mother, it will be boring for him, I don't think it's a good idea," Regina tells her firmly, looking at Robin for support.

"What if I make sure he will have plenty of things to keep him entertained?" Cora tries, and Regina sighs desperately. She won't give up any time soon, isn't she? This is mother they are talking about, she will do everything in her power to get what she wants, "And he will have other children to play with, maybe he will even make friends."

"With your high-class friends' children?" Regina points out, accusingly, "Wouldn't you love that?"

"Who is being judgmental now?" her mother argues, causing Regina to roll her eyes. There's no point in arguing with her, she won't listen.

For a moment, there's only silence in the room, mother's eyes studying Regina as she waits for a positive answer.

No.

She won't get what she wants, not right now. If she really is willing to change, as she promises she is, she will have to prove it with actions, starting with showing that she is capable of being the one waiting for an answer this time around.

"We will think about it," the brunette tells her, stepping away from Robin and reaching for the door, opening it in a silent request for her mother to leave, "Now, this is a hospital and I will start my shift soon, if you don't mind."

Cora waits for a few seconds before starting to move, giving a small nod when she gets past Robin, and stopping to stare at Regina before resuming her way out of the room and away from her daughter.

She has a lot to think about right now. So much for a peaceful morning.

...

Regina closes the door to the staff room, taking a moment to take a deep breath before moving towards the couch and falling onto the cushions with a tired sigh. She hasn't even had the opportunity to eat breakfast, and now she feels nauseous, and she has a headache, pretty sure this is what happens when she tries to deal with her mother first thing in the morning. This day has barely begun, but it feels like she has been out of bed for hours on end. She hopes the workday will help her clear her mind a bit - if only for the moments she will keep herself entertained - she always feels better to know she is working to help other people.

"Here," she looks up to see Robin handing her the bag with her breakfast inside, a smile on his face when he takes the seat beside her, his hand moving up and down the expanse of her leg before settling comfortably on her knee, "Are you alright?" he asks, his blue eyes watching attentively as she reaches for the glass of juice and takes a sip of the fresh, sweet beverage.

She nods at his question, a small gesture, one that it's not completely a lie, but it's meant for reassuring him all the same. Her mother is her problem to deal with, no one else's. It's not Robin's fault the woman he fell in love with in the past comes from such a broken family, it's not his fault that his mother-in-law is so... complicated, for lack of better words.

"We don't need to celebrate my mother's birthday," Regina starts, but Robin is quick to interrupt, sounding truly genuine when he says, "I don't mind going to your mother's birthday party, Regina. She seems to be trying, maybe we should give her a second chance?"

The laugh that comes from her mouth is impossible to contain, but it's sad that she can't even believe her own mother is able to change for her own daughter's sake. Still, it warms her heart to know Robin is willing to go to a party just to try and give a chance to a relationship with her mother, even if he can't remember what happened in the past. Her Robin would always do everything to put a smile on her face, to make her day a little bit better. But she's not sure this party will be one of those cases, she doubts her day will be brightened by her mother's birthday lunch.

"This is not her second chance, Robin, this is the tenth, or... fiftieth," Regina explains, tries to sound unaffected by this fact, but it annoys her to no end that she always has to be the one to make the efforts, never Cora.

"Alright, I don't know much about your relationship with your mother, but," he stops, considering the words he is about to tell her, "Isn't it possible that she is ready to change?"

It is unlikely, she wants to tell him, but she's not in her mother's head, so she can't be so sure.

"Look, Robin," she sighs, pursing her lips, "I don't want to be unfair, but I'm pretty sure she is taking advantage of the whole situation, about the fact that you can't remember her and how she was never supportive of our relationship. This is who my mother is. She is going to play nice until we fall into yet another one of her little games, and then-"

"Good," Robin says, to Regina's surprise, "Let her do that. We are going to be nice too and, hopefully, win her over."

Regina smiles, can't help it. The corners of her lips tilt up to the side, her eyes softening at Robin's unwavering faith. He always sees the best in everyone else, always working to help people achieve their best selves. But... well, this is Cora Mills they are talking about, she's not like every other person. She won't change because others want her to, she will change if _she_ wants it to, and that is the difficult part.

"I appreciate the effort, Robin, I truly do, but... I'm pretty sure we would regret giving her a chance," Regina tells him, wondering if she really is being unfair and her mother is telling the truth. If Cora really wants to change, Regina would hate to lose that opportunity, to finally have a mother who she can count on.

"Maybe we would," she hears Robin's voice beside her, bringing her back to reality, "But how bad can a birthday party really be?"

"With my mother?" Regina scoffs, her brows arching in two perfect arcs, "Do you really want to find out?"

"Do _you_? Because I think I can handle her for an afternoon if you do want to try."

Regina sighs, thinking how good it would feel to have a mother, especially when she gives birth to her first child. She could use some guidance, the type of guidance only a mother could give her, even if she was not the best one when it comes to raising a child. Cora was never really affectionate - most of the time she would scold her father for spoiling her rotten - but no one can take away the fact that she did give birth to a child, she did bring a baby into this world.

"Thank you, Robin, really, but she is _my_ mother, I can just go by myself."

"Well, if she is that bad, I'm not letting you go alone," he tells her firmly, much to Regina's complete surprise. For him, it's like she is practically a stranger, only having met her barely more than a week ago. It's not his job to protect her, not his responsibility to deal with her mother. Yet, here he is, supporting her as if the accident had never happened, as if he hadn't lost his memories of their time together.

His hand squeezes her knee, and he gives her that dimpled smile, her eyes shifting to his lips for a second, her own pressed together, trying to fight the wish to lean forward and close the gap between them, to show him how much she loves him for everything he is doing for her right now.

"What about Roland?" she asks, back to a safe topic she thinks it will help.

"If I understood correctly, your mother invited him as well," Robin quips, chuckling when Regina just rolls her eyes, "It will be fine, Regina, you'll see. I will take some of his toys to keep him entertained."

Regina sighs in defeat, wanting this too much to be able to refuse his support. She _does_ want to fix things with her mother, and it feels good to know she won't have to do it alone, that she will have Robin and even Roland to support her through everything. She just hopes this won't be another stab in the back, that she won't be dragging the most important people in her life to yet another trap.

* * *

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